Tainted Blood of a Ninja
by Kohana Kurama
Summary: Everyone has their own inner demons no one is exempt or immune...including Itachi. However his inner demon plans to destroy the world as they know it... Itachi, OC, and Sasuke--AU
1. Mitsukai Meets Team 7

Disclaimer--PLEASE READ "TAINTED BLOOD: THE BEGINNING" BEFORE READING THIS OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE LOST AND CONFUSED. The past is explained there. Okay, I can tell you right now that there are going to be a few OOC moments just like there are in the show. Why? Because it's funny and we need humor in our lives. If you don't think anyone in the show has ever acted out of character, or at least changed, then go watch the show again. It's free on YouTube. Here are examples--all of Team 7 was out of character [with the exception of Naruto, he's always like that in the episode where they were trying to see what was under Kakashi's mask. Especially Sasuke. In one episode the Third Hokage actually showed interest in Jiraya's "peeping" abilities when Jiraya was a child. During the Chuunin Exams, Sakura briefly showed interest in Lee while he was defending her. Loads of examples, my Naruto-addicted friends, loads. Also, I'm trying to stick to the anime storyline as closely as I can, but not all the information that I need is available to me...so I apologize for any information I may have wrong.

Ha! And I don't own anything related to Naruto.

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Chapter One: Mitsukai Meets Team 7

The years went well for Mitsukai. She was now fifteen, slightly taller and leaner. She learned to take care of herself, going from village to village, offering assistance and earning money to buy more clothes, ninja tools, and food. If she planned to stay in a village long enough, then she would use some of her money to rent a hotel room for the duration of her stay. Otherwise, she was always on the road with her small backpack. Her physical look had changed dramatically. She no longer had the innocent sweet face she had when she trained with the Akatsuki; it was covered up with a black ninja mask. Her deep blue eyes often held no emotion and she rarely ever spoke unless it was necessary, like speaking with an employer about whatever task she had been given.

Since she didn't consider herself to be a traditional shinobi like others with her skills, she refused to dress like one. She had no particular taste in clothing. However, she knew she was a girl and it was often displeasing to her employers to see her dressed in a way that most considered to be the way a male would dress. So she asked a woman working in a clothing store to help her. She found a lilac silk shirt that appeared to be a button down but lacked buttons. To make matters worse, the sleeves were too long and were cut at a slant, reaching down to her ankles. The shoulder seams on the shirt were slightly torn but Mitsukai didn't care. The lady in the store thought that the shirt should have been thrown away but Mitsukai insisted on keeping it. The woman decided that Mitsukai was a little off. Mitsukai found a solid black stretch shirt that she believed would go well with black stretch shorts, and then found a lilac tank top. She loved the outfit. The woman watched in horror as she put on the black shirt and shorts, put the tank top over the thin shirt, and then lastly pull on the long sleeved shirt. Mitsukai didn't like the idea of the shirt flapping open so freely, so she found a gold sash to tie around her waist and made a small bow in the back. Lastly, she picked out a pair of sandals that had lilac straps to match her shirt. Although the woman tried to sell her a better looking uniform for a kunoichi, Mitsukai refused and purchased what she had on.

From that day forward, Mitsukai had her own "uniform".

Her hair had grown very long. She tried every thing to keep it cut but within a few weeks it was back to its original length and would stay that way. She decided to just keep it the way it was, color and all. It was too much of a hassle. She resolved to just tie the end up with a purple ribbon with a tag that she had found in a thrift store attached to it that had a few Japanese symbols written on it. Her bangs were long as well, covering the front of her face if she didn't push it to the side like she did often, usually out of habit.

After her first few "missions" (term used by her employers), she realized that she would have to keep wrappings on her right thigh and left arm (from the elbow down to her palm) to help ease the muscles in those areas. At first her jobs were simple household chores. Then one night she caught a man trying to steal from her employer's barn and stopped him. The man told her to move but she wouldn't; he then decided to just fight his way past her. She ended up dislocating his shoulder and after that, the farmer moved her up to more brutal jobs. He often sent her to help his other family members who would then send her to other family members or friends. Word spread and she had a little bit of fame to her name...but she didn't like it. It was too easy to get used to being used like that so she cut herself loose and decided to go to a village she'd never seen before...Konoha.

Mitsukai jumped from branch to branch, tree to tree, coming closer to the village walls up ahead. She had seen a great number of villages, and had heard many great tales about the Hidden Leaf village, Konoha; finally, she would get to see it for herself. Four years had passed since her escape from the Akatsuki, yet she had no memory of it. She could only remember waking up in a beautiful field of field of flowers and feeling as free as a bird.

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It was morning when she reached the gates of Konoha. It was nearly nine o'clock yet there was no sign of anyone. She walked through and looked around, amazed. She was slightly disappointed that it wasn't as lively as she had heard it would be. Another thing that disappointed her was the fact the village seemed to be slightly...damaged. There were construction sites every where, rebuilding houses, stores and shops...even the village walls itself.

_'It seems as if they've recently been attacked...'_ She thought. She jumped into a tree to get a better look at the village as a whole. It was true. The village was slowly rebuilding itself from a recent invasion. She sighed, but it was inaudible. She had made the long journey, so it made no sense to just turn around. Maybe someone would need some help...She sat down on the branch and relaxed. Yes, she would stay here for a few days or more. It wasn't like she had somewhere else to be...

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Naruto walked in silence with his two teammates, Sasuke and Sakura. The loss of the Third Hokage weighed heavily on the three, each for their own reason. It was the only reason the three of them weren't arguing at the moment. They approached a bench that sat along side the only road out of the village. Sasuke sat down first, followed by Sakura. Naruto chose to stand.

"Ya know, I think it sucks that we didn't get to finish the Chuunin Exam." Naruto placed his hands behind his head and looked around.

"Yeah...It would have been great to see how Sasuke would have done." Sasuke leaned back on the bench as Sasuke leaned forward, weaving his fingers together and looked straight ahead. All three of them had been out of the hospital now for a few days and were just beginning to get their strength back.

Naruto looked at Sakura's blissful gaze towards Sasuke and frowned. It always got to him that Sakura adored someone who was such a jerk. "But I would have won! Believe it!"

"Sure." Sakura's reply was clearly meant to be sarcastic. Sakura usually would have argued with the loud-mouthed blonde, but wasn't really up for it today. It just seemed too soon to be loud.

Sasuke didn't so much as glance in Naruto's direction. "Naruto...you're such a loser. Sit down."

Naruto's face turned red with rage as he spun away from his teammates and looked up into the sky, expecting to see the sun. However, something else caught his eye...

"Hey, what's that?" Naruto squinted to get a better look. Sasuke and Sakura both looked up and followed Naruto's line of vision. Up in the tree, a silver haired girl was situated on a wide limb, fast asleep. She had straddled the branch and was leaned forward, flat on her stomach sleeping soundly, using her hand to cushion her face from the rough surface.

"It's a girl!" Sakura whispered and stood.

"Well, what the heck is she sleeping up there for?" Naruto scratched his head. He then cupped his mouth and shouted, "HEY! WHY ARE YOU--"

Sakura landed a well-aimed punch to the top of his head and watched him fall to the ground holding his head. "What did you do that for?"

Sakura put her hands on her hips, "You idiot! If you wake her up, she could fall and seriously get hurt! I think we should just go get Kakashi-sensei. He'll know what to do."

The two boys stared at the pink haired girl for a moment then nodded. They all raced downtown to Kakashi's apartment.

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Mitsukai heard a man's gentle voice and felt a gentle poke in her right shoulder. She stirred slightly, but didn't move.

"Kakashi-sensei, is she okay?" A loud little boy asked.

"I believe so, Naruto. She's only sleeping. However, I agree, Sakura. She looks pretty worn out and I've never seen her before...Hmm...I should move her closer to the ground--"

Mitsukai's eyes snapped open and she immediately jumped up and away from the silver haired masked ninja, landing on another branch. She pulled out a kunai and took her fighting stance, holding the kunai in her right hand. Her left hand made the tiger sign, ready for an offensive jutsu should the man make the wrong move.

"Whoa. Easy now. My team and I mean you no harm. We're just concerned that you could hurt yourself. Take it easy." The man put his hands slowly in his pockets and looked at her with one eye. Mitsukai looked at him and it was hard to keep from being captivated by his looks. He had hair just like her! Four years and no one was nearly as young as her with silver hair. She never knew what her father looked like, nor her mother; looking at the man before her, she now had an image to guess with. She slowly dropped her stance and put the kunai back in its holster on her thigh. "There you go. My name's Kakashi. What's yours?"

Mitsukai only stared. Names were not important to her nor did she particularly care to share hers with strangers.

Kakashi sensed that she wasn't exactly the friendly type so he moved on. "This is my Genin team." He looked down at them.

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki! One day, I'm gonna become the Hokage! Believe it!" The blond gave her a thumbs up that she promptly ignored. He was loud and obnoxious. So far she had no reason to want to stay.

"My name's Sakura Haruno." The bubble gum hair colored girl waved timidly with a broad smile. Mitsukai shuddered...She could just feel the girl getting on her nerves within the next few minutes.

The raven haired boy didn't say anything, shoving his hands into his black shorts pockets. When he finally looked up at her, his eyes were red. Mitsukai froze as a small fragment of her memory was unlocked. _'Red eyes...black hair...definitely a demon...'_

She jumped down so quickly that Kakashi barely saw the movement. She stood in front of the boy and leaned closer. "Those eyes...I've seen them before..." She murmured. They all were slightly shorter than her so she had to bend down a bit to get a clear look. The boy gasped upon hearing her speak for the first time, however, her voice was so faint that none of the others knew she was speaking. "But he was older...colder..."

Sasuke's eyes widened with shock then narrowed as rage built up in him. There was only one other person in this world besides him who had his eyes...and that man had a death sentence. He balled his fists up tightly and closed his eyes. "Where is he now?"

Mitsukai leaned away from the boy. He certainly wouldn't get any answers from her with that tone. Mitsukai concluded from this brief interaction that Konoha wasn't all it was cracked up to be and turned to leave the village.

"Wait!" Sakura blocked her exit. "Why don't you stay? We have so many questions. Where did you come from? What's your name? Why are you here? How long will you stay...?"

Mitsukai closed her eyes and sighed inaudibly. As she predicted, the girl was getting on her nerves asking a bunch of questions she didn't want to answer at the moment. Mitsukai figured if she answered one question, the girl would shut up. She held up her hand and Sakura immediately got quiet. "My name is Mitsukai."

Kakashi jumped down and his eye gave the appearance that he was smiling, pleased that she decided to share something with them. "Well, Mitsukai, welcome to Konoha. Do you plan to be here for a while?"

Mitsukai thought about it. Even though the village so far was a disappointment, she had been planning on visiting for months. To leave after only being there for a few hours...would be a waste of her time. Reluctantly, she nodded.

"That's great. If you come with me, I can help you get a place to stay--"

Naruto cut him off and jumped in Mitsukai's face. "You can stay with me! I have my own apartment! Well, so does Sasuke--" He leaned forward and whispered loudly, "--but you don't want to stay with him because he thinks he's this great ninja when he really isn't--" Thankfully he moved away from Mitsukai. "--so how about it, huh?"

Mitsukai slowly shook her head. The boy was nuts...but she secretly liked his spunk. In fact, she looked at them and could honestly say that they were okay. It had been a while since people had welcomed her like this. It was great to be in someone's company who didn't want her to go do a million things.

Kakashi rubbed his head, "Sorry, you'll have to excuse Naruto. He can be a bit..."

"Hyper?" Mitsukai finished for him.

Naruto leaned in and examined her."Your voice sounds as if you're falling asleep...but you look wide awake to me." He squinted. Mitsukai put her hand on his forehead and gently shoved him away from her face and out of her personal space.

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, a bit embarrassed by his student. "Well, let's go. Come on, everyone."

"I have better things to do than to tag along." Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to walk away.

"Very well, Sasuke. But remember that you guys are to train later on today at three." Kakashi reminded him. Sasuke merely waved his hand as recognition then disappeared. "Okay, you three. Let's go."

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Against her better judgment, Mitsukai agreed to lease an apartment for six months should she decide to stay longer than she planned. Kakashi and Sakura helped her buy things for her apartment that she could sell back to the store later when she decided to leave. By the time the essential things were put in their proper places and food was stored in the refrigerator, it was nearly 3:30.

"Oh yeah, I told Sasuke to be at the training grounds at three, didn't I?" Kakashi rubbed his head and chuckled. "I guess time flies when you're having fun."

Naruto's eyes got big. "SO THIS IS THE KIND OF THINGS YOU'RE DOING WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING US?!"

"Something like that." Kakashi stood and headed out the door. "Let's go."

Mitsukai stared around at what she was supposed to call home for the next few weeks. A small part of her was actually glad that she had a place to call home after so many years.

"Mitsukai?"

Mitsukai snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Sakura peeking around the corner at her. "Yes?"

"You can come if you want to. That way we can give you a...tour and show you some important places along the way. Who knows? Maybe you can learn a thing or two from watching us." Sakura smiled. It pleased Sakura to know that Sasuke had no interest in the homely girl. She hoped that they could be friends.

Mitsukai looked around her apartment once more and sighed. What else was there to do? She stood and followed Sakura out the door, locking it behind her.

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"This is Main Street. You'll find most of the businesses on this street." Sakura explained to a bored Mitsukai. It was like any other village...Yawn. "There's the bookstore, a barbeque shop--"

"Sakura, you can't forget Ichiraku! That place has the best ramen in the world!" Naruto's loud voice snapped Mitsukai from her daydream as they all trailed behind Kakashi as he lead the way to training grounds. When they finally got there, Mitsukai was ready to hit both Naruto and Sakura for their constant bickering about whether or not Sakura should have mentioned the ramen shop first.

"How is it that you're _all_ late?" Sasuke asked. They looked up to find him in a tree, staring down at them with an annoyed look on his face.

"Sorry, Sasuke. We got a little carried away helping out our new friend." Kakashi pulled out an orange colored book and opened it.

Sasuke looked at Mitsukai. "Is she going to train with us too?"

For the first time, Kakashi actually thought about how fast she'd moved from the tree to Sasuke. _'She moves pretty fast for someone with no apparent ninja training...I should see what her skills are...'_

"Yes, she is."

"She is?!" Naruto and Sakura's mouths hung open in shock.

"I am?" Mitsukai asked with a bit of dread in her voice.

"Yes." Kakashi answered them all.

"B-b-but she hasn't attended the Academy! She can't train with us unless she is at least a Genin, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura countered. _'If she tries to steal Sasuke, I WILL KILL HER!'_ Inner Sakura spat fire.

Kakashi looked at Mitsukai. "How old are you?"

A puzzled look shown in her eyes as she thought about it...She didn't know for sure. She was often told that she looked a certain age but unfortunately couldn't remember her own birthday.

"It's alright, Mitsukai. You're about the same height as the others so we'll assume that you're their ages. As for her rank, Sakura, if I'm not mistaken that's usually determined by the Jounin appointed to each team. The Academy only gets you ready for the test the Jounin gives to determine if you're ready. With that said, I will decide if she's ready."

"And how will you do that?" Sasuke folded his arms, unhappy that this may prolong the training.

"The same way I tested you three," He pulled a single silver bell out of his pocket. "The bell test."

Their eyes popped open and mouths hung in utter shock. That test had taken them _hours_ to complete! Mitsukai tilted her head to the side in interest.

"How will that test me?" She asked.

"Simple. You have to take it from me...but it won't be as easy as you think it would be." Kakashi held up the small silver bell then tied it to his waist and pulled out his book. "You three take a seat and watch."

"This is so stupid." Sasuke muttered going back to his spot in the tree. Naruto sat on the ground while Sakura chose to lean on Sasuke's tree."

Mitsukai, in order to get the bell, you'd have to act as if you want to kill me. I will not hold back and go easy on you." Kakashi looked down at his book and started to read. Mitsukai was slightly interested with his words.

_'Kill?'_ A side of her was awakened as she studied him carefully. It had been too long since her mind was actually challenged like this...Maybe she would stay longer than she planned.

For the longest she just stood and stared at him, taking no fighting stance but instead assessing the situation...as someone whom she couldn't remember had taught her. There were only two things that came to her like second nature, fighting and jutsu. Her training had been drilled into her head to the point where she was always on guard, even in her sleep. She didn't know if he would remain defensive or switch to offensive. So she did what she knew best: she charged.

"Hey! I tried that!" Naruto pointed with a smile. It was nice to know that others thought the way he did.Kakashi watched as the silver blur rushed towards him. She moved so fast he had to almost squint to make out her face. He dodged her punch, grabbed her arm, kicked her in the chest and watched her roll across the ground. "You should never just charge at your opponent, Mitsukai, it's--" He stopped when she disappeared.

They all looked around, trying to find her. Mitsukai hid in the bushes as she processed the information she'd just gotten. _'He could barely see me, so I know that my speed is his weakness. He will get offensive if I get to close to that stupid bell. So I'll have to use my speed to distract him long enough to get close...'_

She smiled to herself and stood. She walked slowly to Kakashi and stood about forty feet away from him. She held up her hands and did the hand signs goat, pig, ox, dog, and snake. Kakashi sighed and put his book away as she created four clones of herself. "I guess I should pay attention to you then. I forget I don't know what you're capable of." He lifted his headband and uncovered his left eye. Mitsukai stared at it.

"Exactly how many of you have those eyes?" She asked.

Kakashi paused upon hearing this question because it gave the indication that she'd seen it before she met them. Before he could ask more about this, the clones took their places around him, making an invisible five point star. They then each turned and ran in a counter-clockwise circle around him, picking up speed with every complete circle. Kakashi tried to locate the real Mitsukai but because of the speed of the clones, it was harder than usual. Soon, in his eye, there was only a blur of blue chakra surrounding him. [AN: Remember, in the eyes of a Sharingan user, shadow clones appear as blue masses of chakra with the outline of a human. As if her speed and the light it created weren't enough, her movements created a strong wind that nearly immobilized him; it was too strong to move against. He felt a slight tug at his hip. The light faded and the wind instantly died down. He looked down and found that the bell was gone.

Mitsukai gave the bell to Naruto and jumped up into Sasuke's tree, claiming a branch on the opposite side of him. All of their mouths hung open.

"Did...you...see...THAT?! THAT WAS SO AWESOME!" Naruto smiled broadly looking at the bell in his hand. Sakura thought about how she had acted during their bell test and her shoulders slumped. Sasuke was outraged. If he had have been able to take the test by himself, he would have gotten the bell a lot faster.


	2. A New Hidden Leaf Ninja

Chapter Two: A New Hidden Leaf Ninja

Mitsukai woke up the next day sore from the previous day of training. She never complained until she tried to get out of bed...

"Oww..." She moaned as she tried to move her arms. After several minutes of trying to get up, she gave up and just laid in the bed. She was on her way back to sleep when she heard loud banging on the door.

"HEY, MITSUKAI, ARE YOU UP YET? COME ON, WE HAVE A WHOLE 'NOTHER DAY OF TRAINING TO DO! YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME HOW TO MOVE THAT FAST!" Naruto yelled through the door, banging on it relentlessly. She groaned and rolled over again.

"Naruto, please go away." She mumbled. Of course, he didn't hear this nor did he go away. It took her nearly fifteen minutes to get out of bed, shower, and get dressed. When she finally opened the door, she wasn't a very pleasant person...

"Well, it's about time you got up. Do you know how long I've been out here?"

"Precisely eighteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds." Mitsukai locked the door behind her and followed an all too hyper Naruto. Naruto talked every single second until they met up with Sasuke and Sakura.

"Hey guys! Either of you seen Kakashi-sensei, yet?" Naruto asked.

"No." Sakura shook her head. Sasuke didn't even bother to answer.

"Ya know, we all probably could have stayed in bed and he still wouldn't have shown up on time." Naruto scratched his head with a thoughtful look. Up until this point, Mitsukai had been practically sleepwalking because her eyes were millimeters away from being closed and she was dangerously close to falling asleep. Her eyes shot open and she grabbed Naruto by the collar.

"You mean to tell me that you woke me up early _for nothing_?!" Her eyes were slightly red and her sleepy voice only made it seem worse.

"I-I'm sorry Mitsukai, it's just that I was so excited about training with you that I kinda got carried away..." He rubbed the back of his head and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Mitsukai may have hit him at that moment if Kakashi hadn't have shown up and pried her fingers off of him. "Easy now, Mitsukai. I'm here now."

She let go and folded her arms across her chest, extremely pissed.

"How about I buy you some coffee, eh Mitsukai? That's sure to wake you up." Naruto gave a mile wide smile but Mitsukai ignored him, scratching her head and looking up at the sky. "Mitsukai, did you hear me? What do you say?"

She scratched her head and frowned. "I really must be hearing things."

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On their way to the training field, they ran into a tall man with white hair and red markings on his face. Mitsukai studied him as he talked to Kakashi, and concluded that Konoha was filled with strange people. The man suddenly turned his attention to her and bent down a bit to look her in the eye.

"So you must be Mitsukai. I've heard a lot about you and your amazing abilities as a ninja." He stuck out his hand for her to shake and she eyed it for a moment, and then touched it gingerly, placing her hand in his grasp. "My name's Jiraya."

Mitsukai stared at Jiraya, and he stared at her. When he finally let go, he stood and looked at Kakashi. "You and I will have a little chat about her and Naruto later. There's something you'll need to know if you plan to keep those two on your team."

"Okay then." Kakashi nodded slightly then turned to his team. "Let's go."They followed in silence as Jiraya disappeared and Kakashi led the way to the training grounds. Naruto fell in step beside Mitsukai and whispered to her, "I wonder what the Pervey Sage has to talk to Kakashi-sensei about, don't you?"

Mitsukai, who was still a bit peeved about the early wake up call, continued to ignore him by pretending she was hearing things. This time she dug a finger into her ear and pretended to pull earwax out and flick it on Naruto.

"HEY!" Naruto dusted himself off. "Why aren't you answering me?"

Mitsukai proceeded to "clean" out her other ear.

"I know you can hear me." Naruto waited but she didn't give the indication that she was listening. This ticked him off because it reminded him of the cocky Sasuke who was apparently enjoying Naruto's frustration with the girl. "HEY, COULD YOU AT LEAST LOOK AT ME AND LET ME KNOW THAT YOU EVEN HEAR ME?!"

By then they had reached the field and Mitsukai was now studying her nails and the (lack of) dirt underneath them.

"HEY IF YOU DON'T STOP IGNORING ME AND TALK TO ME, MITSUKAI! I'M TALKING TO YOU! QUIT PRETENDING YOU DON'T HEAR ME! THERE'S NOTHING IN YOUR EARS, OR ANYTHING UNDER YOUR NAILS, OR IN YOUR HAIR, OR IN YOUR EYES. THERE'S NO IMAGINARY BUG BUZZING AROUND YOU---I'M OVER HERE!!!!!"

Poor Naruto was almost at pass out point from screaming and getting himself worked up. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura watched this one-sided exchange with amusement--very few people could get under Naruto's skin without even making an effort. In fact, Sasuke was the only one. As Sasuke watched Mitsukai, he began to accept her as a potential teammate. She fit in with them almost perfectly and she was skilled. Of course, he resented her for being much more talented than he when he had something important he needed to do and therefore needed the skills and talents she possessed. She, on the other hand, had no real use for them. He had spent the previous evening studying her and memorizing her jutsus unconsciously with his Sharingan (he needed it to keep up with her movements) just in case Kakashi ever thought it would be fun to watch them train against each other. He realized that, like Naruto, if she stayed with the team, she would be another competitor for him to measure himself against. Someone to compare his growth to so that one day, he would be able to kill his brother. Besides...she had passed the bell test within twenty minutes and was currently making Naruto angrier than he himself had in a whole week.

Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh, "Naruto, save your breath. She's too stuck up to want to talk to you."

This stopped everyone and effectively angered Mitsukai. She tilted her head to the side in surprise. "_'Stuck up'_?"

Naruto completely forgot that he was angry at Mitsukai. "Ya know, Sasuke, just because _you_ actually talk to people doesn't mean that you're still not stuck up."

Before Kakashi could step in, everyone had jumped in and began screaming their heads off. Mitsukai covered her ears and jumped up into a tree, found a wide branch, and fell asleep.

Sasuke saw this and immediately walked away and found his own tree to lean up against while Naruto and Sakura continued to battle it out. Sasuke looked up at Mitsukai and scoffed.

"Dwarf." He mumbled.

Mitsukai sat up and looked down at him. "Sauce-_gay_."

For the first time in a few months, Sasuke actually got angry enough to want to hit a girl. She had insulted him in a way that Naruto had never dared to touch. "Gay?"

"You can't hear, Sauce-gay?" She sneered then put her head back down. Sasuke pulled a kunai and turned, ready to jump onto her branch when he felt a hand grab his wrist and the kunai was snatched from him.

"Sasuke, you know better than to pull a weapon on your own teammate." Kakashi scolded. He turned to the now quiet Naruto and Sakura. "You all really need to work on your attitudes. Now pair up for training."

No one moved. Kakashi looked around and sighed.

"Fine. Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto and Mitsukai." He looked up at her. "Come down here and face your partner."

Mitsukai opened one eye and, by the way her shoulders moved, it seemed as if she was sighing. She jumped down and stood in front of Naruto. She rolled her eyes when she remembered that it was Naruto who had started it all.

"Okay, everyone is going to practice taijutsu. The girls need it more than anything else." Kakashi sat down and pulled out his Make Out Paradise book. The boys nodded and got in their fighting stances. Sakura freaked out not wanting to fight Sasuke while Mitsukai spotted a spider in the grass and picked it up. It was a daddy long-legs, crawling slowly over the palm of her hand. Mitsukai had been around plenty of boys so she knew that they would like it, however, she hadn't spent a lot of time with girls to know exactly how girls act...

"Hey, Sakura. Look what I found." Mitsukai shoved her hand in Sakura's face and opened it.

"_EEEEEEK_!" Sakura screamed and ran in the opposite direction. Mitsukai watched her run away, utterly confused by her reaction. Naruto fell into the grass laughing while Sasuke simply shook his head. Kakashi put his face in his hands and mumbled something to himself before standing.

"Fine. Naruto and Mitsukai, start training. Sasuke, come with me." Kakashi said before he and Sasuke took off running. Standing alone with Naruto, Mitsukai felt this strange energy pulse through her. Naruto looked at Mitsukai and had the same feeling. Both of their inner demons could sense the other's presence and it was only because a long time ago, Kyuubi and Houkou had fought each other, and therefore knew the other's chakra well.

"Well, let's get started." Naruto said before throwing a punch that Mitsukai dodged. "Oh come on, Mitsukai. You're supposed to fight back!"

"Why? It takes less energy to simply avoid you. I can wait until you tire yourself out then attack with a Genjutsu." Mitsukai explained, unconsciously repeating the words of her former sensei.

"But one day, you'll have no choice but to use taijutsu." Naruto grunted as his kicked missed her. Mitsukai continued to dodge him, jumping from place to place using her speed to her advantage.

"No, I won't. Besides, isn't my speed technically considered taijutsu?"

"No." Kakashi answered. "And that's because you use your chakra to help you move."

Her eyes narrowed. So he thought he had her figured out? She ignored Naruto for the time being and moved towards Kakashi. In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if she merely teleported over to him instead of running like she really did. When she chose not to use her chakra, she was practically undetectable.

Kakashi only nodded. "I see. When done without the aid of your chakra, it is considered taijutsu."

Sasuke and Sakura glowered, both consumed with silent rage. Mitsukai went back to Naruto and resumed "training", still choosing to dodge his attacks. Sasuke and Sakura began to train as well.

At the end of the day, everyone was tired and hungry.

"Alright, alright." Kakashi told the cranky group. "You can go home now. But first," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a headband with the Hidden Leaf village plate on it. "Here, Mitsukai. I talked to Jiraya about you yesterday and he believes it's best that you were made a citizen and ninja of Konoha."

Mitsukai only looked at it. "Why?"

"He knows that you officially don't belong to a village, and that you had a rough past. It's best that you stay here with us."

Mitsukai felt strange upon hearing his words. No one had ever extended an invitation like this to her. "Why would he care if I belonged to a village or not?"

Kakashi just looked at her. Unfortunately, Jiraya had the answers for all the questions the girl had. "You'd have to ask him that yourself."

"Just take it. You can't say that you don't like it here." Naruto nudged her forward. Mitsukai smiled behind her mask. It was true. She felt at home in the Hidden Leaf village. Granted it would take a while for her to become completely on comfortable, to completely be relaxed instead of constantly on guard, but she knew that as long as she tried, it would happen.

"I'll take it under one condition." Mitsukai looked up at Kakashi.

"Yes?" He tilted his head to the side.

"I want to talk to...Master Jiraya tomorrow. He says he knows about my past...I need to know what happened to me...I can't remember." She whispered. Everyone looked at her. Kakashi simply nodded.

He decided to take a chance and reached out to pat her head, gently ruffling her hair. "Consider it done."

Mitsukai nodded. "Thank you...Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened with love. "Aw!" They threw themselves at Mitsukai and hugged her. Mitsukai's eye twitched from the sudden invasion of her space. _'You can do this. Just relax...'_ Sasuke watched her with interest as she held her composure with awe. The last time they tried to hug him, he'd spent the rest of the day avoiding them all.

---------------------------

As agreed, Kakashi took Mitsukai to see Jiraya. Along the way, Mitsukai stared at her headband trying to figure out how she wanted to put it on.

"It doesn't matter where you put it on, as long as it's clearly visible." He seemed to be reading her mind. She looked at him then back at the headband. Finally, she settled on tying it on her head. It rested on her forehead but was nearly hidden by her bangs. Kakashi looked down at her and smiled. "That's a great place to put it."

Mitsukai didn't say anything but did roll her eyes. Sometimes it seemed that Kakashi was being overly sarcastic. They came to a little bridge that crossed a small stream in the village. The tall white-haired man was leaned against the rail with his arms folded across his chest. "Kakashi, you still know nothing of being on time, do you?"

"Oh, well, you know--"

Jiraya held up his hand. "Save it. I need to speak to you about something." He looked down at Mitsukai. "Hello, Mitsukai."

"Hi." Mitsukai side-stepped behind Kakashi a bit. There was something about the man that creeped her out a bit.

"Don't tell me you're shy." Jiraya chuckled. Mitsukai shook her head and returned to her spot beside Kakashi, standing up a little straighter. "So I hear that you'd only take the invitation and headband if I talked to you."

"You said that you know about my past." Mitsukai looked down. "I wanted to know if you would tell me what happened."

"Why would you need me to tell you?" Jiraya looked at her questioningly.

Mitsukai took a deep breath. "As far as I know, my life begins with me waking up in a field of flowers somewhere in Grass Country." She slowly brought her eyes back up to Jiraya. "For whatever reason, I felt so happy and free, as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I can't remember anything before that."

"Hm." Jiraya closed his eyes. _'She doesn't remember being with the Akatsuki...yet she still retained her training. She's in as much danger as Naruto's in.'_ "Well, I know that it would be more dangerous to tell you instead of letting you remember on your own."

"What?" Mitsukai stared blankly. "You won't tell me?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It would better for your mind to heal itself as it's been doing all of this time."

"What do you mean? My mind's been healing itself?" Mitsukai was beyond confused.

"I can tell you that five years ago you weren't speaking at all. In fact, you were devoid of all emotion. Completely mute. In my opinion, you've come a long way...and you still have quite a way to go." Jiraya opened his eyes and looked at her. "I know this isn't exactly what you wanted to hear, but at this time it's best that you don't know more than you already know."

"How can knowing more about who I am possibly harm me?" Mitsukai was getting frustrated.

He sighed then turned to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. "Unfortunately, someone made a mistake that greatly affected you. By rights, you belong to an organization that has intents that I won't share with you right now. Look, kid. If you ever gain your memories back, then you'll know what I mean when I say it's dangerous for you to know. Right now, you're safe from these people because you don't know anything. I know I'm not making any sense but you just have to trust me and stay here in Konoha."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "You can say that again. _I'm_ lost and I started out knowing more than she did."

Mitsukai stared at the ground. _'An organization...'_ A fuzzy image began to reveal itself in her mind. Jiraya began talking to Kakashi, ignoring the look on Mitsukai's face. The image kept becoming clearer with silence but would get fuzzy again whenever one of them spoke. She put her hands over her ears to block out the sound and clamped her eyes shut to concentrate.

_"Take her. She's all yours." A deep voice said._

_Mitsukai felt herself falling towards the boy. In a blur of black and red, her fall immediately stopped. She looked up to see the blonde boy holding her by her shoulders, keeping her from falling._

_"Watch it, Little One." He smiled. His sea green eye looked at her warmly and Mitsukai felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment._

"...black and red..." Mitsukai whispered.

Jiraya and Kakashi continued to talk."...black cloaks...red clouds...organization..." Mitsukai whispered louder, trying to drown out her voices. It hurt to remember but the memory was right there. The name...what was the name?

They finally noticed Mitsukai beginning to hunch over holding her head as she tried to force her mind to remember the name. Kakashi put his hand on her shoulder. "Mitsukai, what's wrong?"

"Black cloaks...red clouds...I-I can't remember the name of the organization." She panted as tears came to her eyes.

Jiraya's eyes widened then narrowed. _'I can see this was a mistake. I may have jump started her memory.'_

He knelt down in front of her and tilted her head back up by her chin with his finger. "Mitsukai, easy. Don't force it."

She ignored him as the word flashed into her mind.

"They went by the name Boshoku..." She muttered before passing out. She fell back into Kakashi's arms.

"Well?" Kakashi looked up at Jiraya.

"Like I said, you and I need to talk. You now have two students that could be in danger if we don't be careful." He looked at Mitsukai. "Take her home first then come back and we'll talk."

Kakashi nodded then disappeared.

---------------------------

The next day Kakashi made them train some more. This time he put Sakura and Naruto up against each other and told Mitsukai and Sasuke watch."Why are we always fighting each other?" Mitsukai asked.

"To help us in battle. You never know when the enemy will take on the form of a teammate so you need to learn their movements and become familiar with their chakra so you'll be able to effectively fight and keep from attacking your ally." Sasuke explained with his eyes closed.

"If that's the case, then why aren't you watching?"

"We do this all the time...and besides, all they ever do is get in my way. It's difficult to _not_ know whether or not it's the real person."

Mitsukai looked at him then out at Naruto and Sakura. "Hm. And all you do is get in their way." Sasuke looked at her, outraged. "It's called teamwork, stupid."

"What would you know about teamwork? If I'm not mistaken, this is the first team you've ever been on...and you've only been here for four days." He sneered then looked Naruto and Sakura.

Mitsukai looked down at her feet for a few seconds then over at him. "That's true...So I'll just make my own definition of teamwork based on what I've seen with you three." She smirked and watched as Sakura tripped Naruto and he slid across the ground. "Teamwork with team seven means being so arrogant about being better than each other...with the exception of Sakura sometimes...that one person rushes out into battle determined to prove that they can handle the situation. Of course, they never can, and in the end, the other two have to step in to try to help that one person out. Even then, Kakashi-sensei has to come save the day. Teamwork means getting in each other's way then helping each other get out of the way." She hugged her knees. "It's amazing how well it works."

Sasuke thought about they had acted during the bell test, during their battles with Zabuza and Haku...especially during the Chuunin Exams. Although she had not been there during those times, and was only basing this off of four days of being around them nearly all day, she was right. In the end, they had always been there to help and save each other...even putting their life on the line for one another despite how much they argued. Sasuke looked at his teammates and froze. He honestly saw them as teammates. He, on several occasions, had shown that he cared about their well-being, doing everything in his power to protect them.

Kakashi ended Naruto and Sakura's fight and called Mitsukai and Sasuke out."Go, Mitsy!" Naruto yelled rooting for her, causing Sakura to root for Sasuke.

Both Mitsukai and Sasuke looked back at them in disbelief."Did he just call you 'Mitsy'?" Sasuke frowned. She shrugged and took her fighting stance. Sasuke was the only one that Mitsukai liked to train with because he used logic. If she refused to make the first move, he would actually stand there for nearly an hour and wait for her to attack. Kakashi often had to assign someone to be offensive. Also, she recognized that Sasuke was as skilled as she was and every time they trained together, she noticed that he had improved.

"Mitsukai, offensive." Kakashi turned a page in his book. She nodded and held up her hands to make the tiger sign. Thirty minutes later, Kakashi stopped the battle (they were getting dangerously close to torching the environment) and sent out Sakura to train with Mitsukai.

"No." Mitsukai shook her head.

"Huh?" They looked at her.

"I refuse to train with her. It's unfair to fight someone when you have more than one major advantage. Naruto's just gotten to the point where he can try to keep up with my movements. Let her train with Sasuke." Mitsukai jumped up into a tree and sat down. Kakashi didn't bother to argue; he just waved Sasuke back onto the field.

---------------------------

The next day Kakashi let the team take a break from training while he finished his book. The team met up at the ramen shop for lunch.

"So what are we gonna do today?" Naruto asked, stuffing his face with food.

"I don't know but I'm bored." Sasuke played in his food.

"We could go try new jutsus." Sakura offered. She looked at Sasuke and blushed. "Or whatever Sasuke wants to do."

Mitsukai gagged then coughed making them looked at her. "I'm fine." She waved away their concerned looks.

"Hey! I know!" Naruto stood suddenly. "How about we take Kakashi-sensei's book before he gets to the end?" He smiled wickedly.

"Naruto, that is so stu--,"

"I'm in. It's so boring around here." Sasuke laid his chopsticks next to his bowl.

"Me, too." Sakura smiled. Everyone looked down at Mitsukai. She put her chopsticks down as well.

"When did you eat your food?!" Naruto yelled. "I've been watching you this whole time! I wanted to see you take your mask off."

Mitsukai looked at him like he had suddenly grown another head. "Then why didn't you just ask?"

He blinked several times then rubbed the back of his head with a sigh. "I dunno. I figured you'd say no."

Mitsukai turned around and hopped off of the stool, leaving her money on the counter. "I'm in." She started to walk away but stopped and looked at Naruto over her shoulder. "Oh, and you were right figuring that out."

"Aw, come on!" Naruto whined and they all got up to go find Kakashi.

---------------------------

They spotted him walking down Main Street, reading and walking with groceries in his arm.

"Okay, are you ready?" Sakura whispered as they watched him while peeking out from behind a building.

"If this actually works, I'm going to ask if I can get put with a different team." Sasuke mumbled. He walked up to Kakashi and started asking questions about Mitsukai that Kakashi had to stop and think about. Sasuke waited for the perfect opportunity. Kakashi made the mistake of closing his eyes and Sasuke made the grab.

"Hey! Give that back! I only have three pages left!" Kakashi called after him still holding his groceries. Sasuke ran and handed the book off to Naruto. They all ran for it. Kakashi was still holding his groceries when he managed to catch up to Naruto. Naruto threw the book and Sakura caught it and ran for her life. Fire lit in Kakashi's visible eye as he tossed the groceries to the side and charged. They turned a corner and Sakura screamed when Kakashi was already standing there.

"Mitsy, grab the book!" Naruto yelled and Mitsukai snatched the book from Sakura. "Go, go, go! Just go!"

Mitsukai nodded and added a little chakra to her step and sped off.

"No!" Kakashi dropped Sakura and ran after the silver haired girl. Mitsukai looked behind her and smirked. _'Ha ha...he'll never catch--'_

Mitsukai ran into something so hard she fell onto her back. Kakashi stood over her. "H-how?"

"Give me the book..." He said it menacingly then dropped to his knees and put his hands together. "Please?! I'm right at the end! Please, I beg you!"

The rest of the team caught up and they all witnessed as their sensei was ready to cry his eyes out over a book. They were so stunned by this that they didn't argue. Mitsukai handed the book to Kakashi and he kissed the cover over the book and hugged it, lost in his bliss.

"So, Kakashi, where's your team?"

They looked up to see Asuma walking next to Kakashi who was holding a bag of groceries in one hand and his book in the other. Their eyes slowly looked back at the Kakashi in front of him and he waved then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"A CLONE?!!!" Naruto screamed, eyes as big as tea cup saucers.

"All of that hard work...for nothing." Sakura whined through her chibi tears.

Sasuke covered his eyes and shook his eyes. "How did we not see that coming?"

Mitsukai looked around at her teammates then their sensei and did the only thing she could think of to do...For the first time ever, she laughed.

"Ha ha ha ha!" She slapped her knee as she leaned over, laughing hard.

The other three looked at each other with big eyes then Naruto and Sakura latched onto Sasuke in fear. Sasuke's eyes bugged out with renewed annoyance. "Please let go of me."

"A-are you okay, Mitsy?" Naruto approached her cautiously. She stood and nodded wiping away tears.

"Yes." She turned and began to walk away. "I'm going to go lie down...and laugh some more."

She disappeared, leaving her teammates to worry about her mental health.

---------------------------

The leader looked at the members of the Akatsuki. "It's time that we moved on with my plan and began finding the tailed demons. Hidan and Kazuku, you two are responsible for finding Nekomata. Sasori and Deidara, Shukaku...Itachi and Kisame, I've been trying to decide which Bijuu to send you two after."

"May I make a suggestion?" Itachi interjected. The leader only looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Kisame and I could go after the Kyuubi. It's no secret that the Hidden Leaf village would be glad to be rid of him."

"...Fine. Itachi and Kisame, the Kyuubi." He dismissed them all. Itachi and Kisame headed for Konoha. After an hour of walking in silence, Kisame spoke up.

"Why did you volunteer for Kyuubi? He's the strongest of all of the Bijuu. Logically speaking, he'll be the hardest to catch and it would probably take all of us to catch him."

Itachi didn't say anything as he adjusted his straw hat, the bells chiming gently in the wind.

"You hardly talk. The least you could do is let me know what's going on." Kisame complained gruffly. Even though Itachi was the youngest (and shortest) member of the Akatsuki, everyone respected him for his talents.

After nearly an hour, Itachi spoke. "The Kyuubi would be the greatest challenge...and besides, there's someone I hope to see in Konoha. It's been four years."

Kisame nodded satisfied that Itachi had said anything at all, yet wondered who Itachi would want to see.


	3. Return of the Akatsuki

Chapter Three: Return of the Akatsuki

The journey to Konoha was a very silent one. At first it had bothered Kisame that his partner refused to talk unless it was useful to him in some way, but over the years, he got used to the silence. He had grown accustomed to walking in silence, thinking about their current mission or amusing himself by recalling various arguments between Deidara and Sasori over the true definition of art. Didn't they realize that art was like beauty? Its true definition depended on the person defining it. He adjusted his sword and continued walking alongside his shorter, more stoic partner.

Itachi had gathered enough information from an attendant in the previous town to know that the jinchuuriki had headed back to the Hidden Leaf village in the company of an older male. He also knew that his little brother was still there also. He thought of every possible outcome that would result should Sasuke find out that he was back in town. _'Of course, he will want to fight me...but four years isn't enough time to become strong enough.'_ He smirked behind the collar of his cloak. _'I'll remind him of that. Maybe even repeat the brief beating I gave him the last time I saw him.'_

They finally reached the gates of Konoha with a light mist surrounding them. The guard there stepped forward preparing to stop them and ask questions, but Itachi looked at the man and he fell back, asleep. They both continued on into the village.

"Really. You'd think a village that had just been attacked would be a bit more secure." Kisame chuckled. This didn't get a response from Itachi.

----------------------------------------

Three hours later

Sasuke wandered around the village looking for Kakashi. They were supposed to meet up to talk about something. It had been two hours since he had last seen the Jounin and even for Kakashi, that was abnormal. He resolved to just go by the man's apartment to see if he had gone there to read his stupid book. Sasuke scoffed as he turned and headed in that direction. He wouldn't put it past him to do such a thing.

----------------------------------------

In Kakashi's apartment

Might Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai surrounded an unconscious Kakashi. Although they hid it well, Gai could tell that Asuma and Kurenai were slightly fatigued from their brief encounter with the Akatsuki members. Gai stared at Kakashi, thinking.

"Based on how they're acting, they haven't found Naruto yet." He murmured to no one in particular. He shifted a bit to get comfortable in his chair as Asuma stood on his right and Kurenai stood near the door close to his left. They all faced Kakashi, a hint of worry visible in each of their expressions.

Asuma nodded, acknowledging Gai's observation. "About that, isn't something funny? They were already in the village. It's easy to find Naruto in this village." He shifted and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He stuck one in his mouth, holding it between his lips, then returned the pack to its place in his vest. "Itachi already knows Naruto's face."

"Ssh." Gai held a finger up to his lips as the door opened and Sasuke appeared in the doorway.

Sasuke surveyed the scene with interest before he spoke, "Kakashi...why's Kakashi sleep? And why are Jounins gathered here? What happened?"

Gai closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, "Nothing much happened."

Sasuke didn't buy this in the least bit. He was about to open his mouth to tell the green frog man this much when someone appeared in the doorway behind him, out of breath. "Is it true that _the_ Itachi Uchiha came back? And he's after Naruto?" Sasuke turned around and looked at the man, not really seeing his face as his words took time to register in his head. Gai sighed and his head dropped, having a good idea as to what would happen next.

Kurenai covered her forehead with one hand. "Idiot."

_'Itachi...here in Konoha?...What would he want with Naruto?'_ Sasuke felt something within him unlock as he stared, looking at nothing in particular. The hatred that he had kept bottled in for so long came spewing out, coating his skin and making it tingle. He felt himself grit his teeth hard and ball his fists up so tightly. _'No...I won't let him harm anyone else I care about.'_ Sasuke pushed past the man and ran back down the stairs.

Gai stood up slowly. "And why did things turn out like this?" He asked sarcastically, sending an accusing glance towards Ebisu.

"What? Did I say the wrong thing?" The man asked, utterly confused.

----------------------------------------

Sasuke dashed through the village determined to find Naruto before his brother did. _'I have to find Naruto before he does or else...I won't let him hurt Naruto...I'll kill him this time...'_ His first thought was to check Naruto's apartment. There he ran into Sakura and Mitsukai who were leaving food for him.

"Where's Naruto?!" Sasuke demanded making both girls pause at his tone.

"I-I don't know. He's not here." Sakura stuttered. Sasuke promptly jumped and disappeared. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know...but I'll find out." Mitsukai muttered and ran after Sasuke. Sasuke noticed that he was being followed by his teammate but didn't care. He was on a mission. He stopped by Naruto's favorite ramen shop and asked if they had seen Naruto. The owner smiled.

"Yes, he just left here not too long ago with some old man with white hair. They were talking about leaving."

"Did they say where?" Sasuke pressed.

"My guess is the nearest town." The man shrugged. Sasuke turned and ran; Mitsukai close on his heels. She'd never seen this expression on his face. He was truly concerned.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Mitsukai ran alongside Sasuke. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye for a second.

"Naruto's in trouble. I have to find him before something bad happens." He closed his eyes for a second then opened them, "He's in danger, Mitsukai."

Mitsukai's eyes widened. "Danger?"

Sasuke didn't say anything else opting to instead keep running. Once they reached the small town outside of Konoha, Sasuke came to a complete stop. "Mitsukai, we'll have to split up to cover more ground. Do you remember what Jiraya looks like?"

Mitsukai nodded.

"If you find Naruto first, guard him with your life. Do you understand?"

Again, Mitsukai nodded. Sasuke immediately turned and ran to the left leaving Mitsukai to keep going forward. _'I wonder what's going on. I've never seen Sasuke act this way before. He actually cares about Naruto and obviously wants to protect him...Then I must do the same.'_

----------------------------------------

Naruto heard a faint knock on the hotel room door. Hopefully room service had brought the extra pillows he requested so that he and his clones could have a proper pillow fight. After all, Jiraya had ditched him for some girl.

He swung the door open and froze...Two men wearing black cloaks with red clouds stood just outside the door. One of them was extremely taller than the other and resembled a shark; his skin was even blue. These guys weren't with room service.

The blue man studied Naruto carefully then grunted. "It's hard to believe that a child carries the Nine Tailed Fox."

Naruto's eyes widened with surprise. _'How does he know about the Nine Tailed Fox?'_

The shorter raven haired man looked down at Naruto with red eyes...that vaguely reminded him of someone. "Naruto, you're coming with us."

----------------------------------------

Sasuke dashed from hotel to hotel, restaurant to restaurant, becoming more anxious with each step. He asked every owner or attendant if they had seen a tall white haired man and a loud blonde obnoxious boy about his age. They all shook their heads no. He hoped that Mitsukai was having better luck than he was at the moment."It's him...he's here." Sasuke muttered to himself, definitely sensing his brother nearby.

_Flashback_

_Sasuke went into the kitchen where his mother was preparing his lunch to take with him to school. He went to his usual spot and sat down adjacent to his father, who was silently drinking his morning coffee. Sasuke looked at him, recalling that Fugaku had told him a little over a week ago to stop following his older brother around. As a result, Itachi became distant._

_"Father," Sasuke found a spot on the table to stare at while he continued to speak, "Brother never wants to watch over me anymore...why is that?"_

_The man sighed and sat up a little straighter. "Itachi has always been a little strange. He has a hard time dropping his guard around other people and letting them in."_

_"What do you mean?" Sasuke finally brought his eyes up to his father._

_"I have a hard time reading him...and I'm the boy's father."_

_Sasuke stared at him. _'Is that his way of saying he doesn't know?'_ Mikoto handed Sasuke his lunchbox. He corrected her telling her that he would be training late that day then dashed out the door...not knowing that that would be the last time he'd see his family alive._

_End_

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Mitsukai jumped from roof top to roof top, searching the crowded streets below her. _'How hard can it be to find a huge old white haired fart? It isn't like he--'_ She stopped so abruptly that she nearly lost her balance and would have fallen off the building. Jiraya was standing next to a beautiful raven haired woman who clung to him, as forced smile plastered across her face. Mitsukai felt strange looking at her; she'd never seen a woman happy _and_ in Jiraya's company. In fact, she'd never seen a woman with Jiraya at all...

She jumped down and tapped Jiraya on his arm. He stopped chuckling and turned to see who had interrupted his blissful moment. "Oh, Mitsukai? What are you doing here? Never mind that, can you just come back a little later?" He then turned her around and gently pushed her away.

"But--"

"No 'buts'. Can't you see I'm with someone? It's rude to talk while grown-ups are talking." He waved a finger at her.Mitsukai looked at him strangely. "She looks like she's my age...Now I see why Naruto calls you Pervey Sage."

Jiraya's eyes shot open and his hand covered her mouth then dragged her away from his "friend". He held her by her shoulders. His voice was a lethal whisper, "I swear you had better want something worth my time, kid! She's hot! And young! Don't ruin this for me!"

"Sasuke says Naruto's in danger. I was supposed to find you two and let you know...where's Naruto?" Mitsukai looked around. The smells from the surrounding restaurants threw off her chances of picking up any foreign scents. However, one particular scent that she couldn't identify yet somehow just _knew_ lingered on Jiraya's company. Mitsukai stared at the girl and noticed a slight haze in front of the girl's eyes. _'A Genjutsu!'_

"What do you mean he's in danger? I left him back at the hotel room--" Mitsukai ignored him as she went around him. She held up her index and middle finger to make the tiger sign then poked the girl in the arm.

"Release!" She said and instantly the girl's eyes closed as she began to fall unconscious. Jiraya caught her and looked up at Mitsukai, eyes watering up.

"What did you do that for?" He pouted. If Mitsukai hadn't been wearing her mask, he would have been able to see the fully disturbed look on her face.

"Did you cast that jutsu on her?" She asked pointedly.

"Wha-what?! No! Jiraya the toad sage doesn't need to force the women to want to be around him. They come--"

Mitsukai waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you didn't, then who did?"

Jiraya paused as it dawned on him what Mitsukai was getting at. He put the girl over his shoulder and stood. "You said that Naruto's in danger. I assume that someone's after him?"

"Sasuke didn't say...Master Jiraya, I've never seen him look so concerned before. What's going on?" She asked.

Jiraya was silent for a moment then turned. "I'll have to tell you along the way. Right now, every second is vital."

Mitsukai watched in awe as the man leapt up onto the roof of the building parallel to the one they were in. _'He moves pretty good for an old man.'_

----------------------------------------

Naruto stared at Itachi and Kisame, fear paralyzing him.

"Let's go outside." Itachi suggested taking a step back.

Naruto felt himself moving with him, stepping out into the hallway. _'These guys aren't just chumps.'_

Kisame studied Naruto. "Hm...Itachi, it would be annoying if he moved around. Perhaps we should cut off a leg or two."

Naruto gasped, shocked. "W-what did he say?"

Normally if Itachi disagreed with Kisame he would say something. However, Itachi didn't say anything. Kisame's lips formed an evil smirk as he took a step forward, hand on the handle of his Sharkskin. "Then I shall."

"It's been a long time." A familiar voice said from behind the men.

Itachi smirked behind the collar of his cloak. _'I was beginning to wonder how long it would take him to get here...'_ "Sasuke."

Sasuke stared at his brother's back. "Itachi Uchiha."

Naruto switched his gaze from Sasuke to the man in front of him. _'Itachi Uchiha? An Uchiha like Sasuke?...So _that's_ why he looked familiar!'_

Kisame turned slightly to get a better look at the boy. "The Sharingan...and he's very familiar to you. Who is he?" Kisame looked at Itachi.

Itachi was secretly pleased with how this was turning out. _'By the sound of his voice, he's finally adopted the notorious Uchiha arrogance. Well then, it won't be hard to piss him off.'_ "My little brother." He answered sounding bored by the question.

_'His little brother? Then that explains why he wanted to come back to his former village.'_ Kisame looked back at Sasuke but continued to speak to Itachi. "I heard the entire Uchiha clan was killed...by you."

Sasuke noticed that even the fish man had directed his attention to Sasuke but his brother was still facing Naruto. _'The coward can't even face me!'_ "Itachi Uchiha! I'm going to kill you!"

Itachi swallowed the tiny chuckle that threatened to ruin his calmness. _'If only he knew how stupid that sounded. A __hamster wouldn't have even been slightly afraid of that empty threat.'_

Naruto looked at Itachi. He remembered when Sasuke first mentioned to Kakashi that there was a certain man that he wanted to kill and when he was holding Sasuke in his arms during the fight with Zabuza and Haku. _'This is the guy Sasuke wants to kill?'_

Itachi closed his eyes and took his time turning around to face his baby brother. Sasuke saw him move and closed his eyes too, preparing to look into the eyes of a cold-blooded murderer. They opened their eyes at the same time, both revealing their Kekkei Genkai trait.

Sasuke felt rage boil his blood as he slowly lost his ability to think rationally; his rage began to take over him. "Like you said, I hated you...detested you..." Images from the night his family was murdered by the monster in front of him claiming to be his brother flashed in his mind, adding fuel to the fire that was his anger. He concentrated his chakra into his left hand as the Chidori began to form and the sound of a thousand birds reached their ears. "And just to kill you, I've...I've _survived_!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto gasped; this was the first time he'd gotten the chance to see Sasuke's new jutsu.

"Chidori?" Itachi asked in an "are you serious" tone although he was impressed that his brother was able to perform a jutsu that was related to their dark past.

"I'm going to kill you!" Sasuke yelled.

Itachi inwardly sighed. _'I wish he'd quit telling me what he's "going" to do and just try it already. The Sage will be back soon.'_

Sasuke smashed his Chidori into the wall and charged at Itachi at a fairly fast pace. "_Die_!!!!" He yelled.

Itachi frowned slightly and knocked Sasuke's arm away and a brief strong wind blew the Chidori towards the wall and created a giant hole where Naruto's room had once been. Itachi quickly grabbed Sasuke's wrist. It was the first time Itachi had touched the boy since the last time he poked him in the forehead right before leaving Konoha. The chakra crackled until it died down and faded.

"What happened?" Naruto whispered to himself. "Sasuke's technique was easily avoided..." Itachi began to bend Sasuke's wrist at an odd angle, and Sasuke grunted uncomfortably. "Not good..." Naruto made the tiger sign to summon the Kyuubi's chakra. "I have to do something!"

Naruto was soon surrounded by the swirling red chakra and Kisame looked at him with interest. "His chakra is filling up the space. I see, this is the Nine Tail's chakra."

Itachi looked at the anger in his brother's eyes. Yes, there was certainly a good amount of hatred in them for him. Unfortunately, Sasuke was still attached to his emotions and the fun had to end. "Enough." Itachi barely moved his own wrist and the sound of bone snapping followed.

Sasuke screamed out in pain then fell to the floor laying flat on his stomach.

"Sasuke!" Naruto looked at his fallen teammate. "That's it. Ninja art summoning jutsu--"

"Too late." Kisame said as he swung his sword, and all of Naruto's chakra disappeared.

Naruto suddenly felt empty. "Hey, I can't feel my chakra. Come on, come on." He tried to summon his chakra again. "What the heck is going on?!"

Kisame chuckled at the kid's stupidity. "Sorry, kid. My blade Sharkskin cuts through chakra and devours it." Kisame looked over his shoulder at Itachi who was looking down at his brother. "We don't need the hassle of this kid whipping out any more jutsu. Forget the legs, maybe I ought to start off with those arms of his." Kisame leveled the blade at the blonde boy.

Upon hearing this, Naruto tried even harder to summon his chakra. "Why isn't it coming?!"

"You're wasting your time." Kisame raised his blade and prepared to swing.

----------------------------------------

"We're almost there, Mitsukai." Jiraya looked over his shoulder at the silver haired girl whose deep blue eyes now reflected worry. "It'll all be alright. I promise."

Mitsukai nodded but didn't believe him. Instincts told her that after today, her peaceful stay in the Hidden Village would come to an abrupt end.

"Mitsukai, hold onto me." Jiraya ordered and she grabbed his shirt in both hands tightly. He held up his hands and performed several hand signs then touched the ground with the palm of his hand. "Ninja art summoning jutsu!"

An orange frog about Mitsukai's height appeared. "Go find Naruto and protect him until I get there." Jiraya ordered. The frog nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Now for us. Hold on tight." Jiraya performed some more hand signs and they too disappeared in a puff of smoke.

----------------------------------------

Itachi stared at Naruto while Sasuke shivered on the floor. His body was beginning to get cold and numb from the broken bone and if he didn't watch it, he was sure to go into shock. Sasuke looked up in time to see Kisame bring his sword down forcefully.

"What the--?" Kisame stared in disbelief as an orange frog dressed as a ninja held its arms up, blocking his hit. Smoke appeared and a man's voice rang out.

"You two don't know me at all, do you? You should've done your homework. Jiraya the toad sage falls victim to no woman's charm. Rare beauties drop for me like blossoms..." Jiraya stuck his chest out and continued to boast. Naruto stared at the man in disbelief while Mitsukai contemplated covering up her face entirely with her mask, eyes included. Then she remembered that there was danger present and surveyed the scene before her. The first thing she saw was Sasuke lying on the ground...wrist apparently broken. _'Sasuke.'_

"...storm." Mitsukai ducked just in time to avoid Jiraya's swinging arm. She took a few steps to her right to give him room to do whatever he wanted without accidentally hurting her. He continued to talk so she returned her attention to Sasuke. However, this time, due to her new position, she didn't see Sasuke; she saw a very familiar face. The black cloaks with red clouds, headbands with the single line drawn through the village emblem...She could feel pieces of her memory become clearer at a faster rate than when she tried to force it on the bridge with Kakashi and Jiraya.

"The Akatsuki." She whispered, recalling hearing one of its members say its name in front of her. At the moment, the fish-headed man didn't seem familiar to her...but other did. He looked just like Sasuke, except older. As her eyes studied his face, mentally pieces of her memory sorted itself. She remembered a blonde guy fighting the man in front of her...and losing. _'I had to save that guy from killing himself. He meant a lot to me.'_ That person's name eluded her at the moment. She looked at the raven haired man's eyes. _'Just like Sasuke's...I've seen them before.'_

"...the ladies worship at your awesomeness!!!" Jiraya struck another pose.

"'Awesomeness'? Is that even a word?" Mitsukai asked herself out loud though no one else heard her.

Everyone stared at the man as if he were insane.

Naruto finally snapped out of his stupor and began ranting. "Aw, don't gimme that. One wink from a pretty girl and you turned into a mountain of mush. You fell for it like a ton of bricks, Pervey Sage!" He folded his arms across his chest.

Jiraya let out an embarrassed chuckle and rubbed his head, "I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people."

This earned more blank stares from the other four people watching their exchange.

Naruto lost it. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! WE'VE GOT WORSE THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT OTHER THAN WHAT THESE PEOPLE THINK OF YOU! GET WITH IT, PERVEY SAGE!" Naruto pointed at Kisame and Itachi.

"DIDN'T I JUST ASK YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT?!" Jiraya stepped forward ready to strangle the kid himself. Mitsukai bowed her head, ashamed to say that she had arrived there with one of them and was the other's teammate. Just...ashamed.

Itachi continued to stare, not knowing what to think of the scene. Kisame chuckled. Mitsukai noted that she would too if the situation beyond Naruto and Jiraya weren't so serious; these two were a joke.

"Whatever name you go by, Master Jiraya, I must say you're something of a disappointment..." He continued to speak but Mitsukai didn't hear him. For the first time, the other man looked directly at her. She held his gaze for as long as she could stand to, but the minute she felt herself get sleepy, she looked away.

Itachi studied the girl. She looked very familiar...but it couldn't be _her_. Instead, Itachi figured it would be best if the girl was unconscious while he and Kisame handled Naruto and Jiraya...the last thing they would need is interferance. However, she didn't hold his gaze long enough for him to cast the Genjutsu on her. She instinctively looked away, as if knowing what he was trying to do. His eyebrow rose with curiosity. _'Who is she?'_

"Whaaaa?! You already know who he is?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded.

"Uhhh..." Jiraya smiled nervously, "Don't be fooled by appearances or anything this squirt might say."

Kisame noticed the girl draped over Jiraya's shoulder. "So, you somehow managed to release the Genjutsu we cast on her, eh?"

Jiraya looked directly at Itachi, knowing exactly who had casted the jutsu. He walked over to Mitsukai and put the girl down, propping her up on the wall. "What kind of a coward would do something like that? Using his Sharingan to inflict an illusion jutsu on an innocent woman, all in order to separate Naruto and me." He then stood straight. He laid a hand on the top of Mitsukai's head, silently thanking her.

Naruto's jaw dropped. _'To...to separate us? But why?'_

Jiraya looked at Itachi. "I know that he's the one you're really after."

Itachi paused. He remembered during his brief fight with the Konoha Jounins, Kakashi had told them he knew the name of their organization and that they were after Naruto. "That explains how Kakashi knew. Now I understand...he learned it from you." Itachi briefly closed his eyes then opened them. "You're right. Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after...and we _will_ have him."

Naruto's eyes widened with panic. "Wha-what's going on?" The frog disappeared, leaving Naruto vulnerable to Kisame once again.

"No way you're getting Naruto." Jiraya stated evenly. Mitsukai nodded and stood next to Jiraya. This time both of the Akatsuki members looked at her. The first thing Kisame noticed was the tattoo on her left leg: the dragon surrounded by the five elements that wound up her leg. He blinked several times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"We'll see about that."

"Actually, this is all very convenient. I can eliminate you both at the same time."

"Stay out of this!"

"Huh?" Naruto's attention snapped back to Sasuke, who had been lying on the floor this whole time. Mitsukai watched as Sasuke struggled to his feet and looked up at the man in front of him.

"The only one who's going to eliminate him...is me!"

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered.

Jiraya stared at the younger Uchiha with concern. Then it came to him. "Of course. Revenge."

Itachi and Kisame looked over their shoulders at the boy. Itachi looked down at the weakened child. _'If I had the time, I would allow him to humor me with this pitiful display of determination. But we have a mission to keep to. Besides, I know it would piss him off more than anything else to just dismiss him like father used to do.'_ "Go away. You don't interest me at the moment."

Sasuke's blood boiled and steam almost literally came out of his ears. _'He comes back just to take Naruto, who isn't special in any kind of way, and ignore me, the person he left as an orphan and told to get stronger just so that I can kill him later? He's officially gone crazy and it's time to end this.'_ Sasuke balled his fist up and swung. "WELL, GET INTERESTED!"

Itachi smirked behind his cloak collar. _'Bingo.'_ Itachi lifted his leg and kicked Sasuke in the chest. Mitsukai watched in horror as her teammate was sent flying down the hall, where he crashed into the wall, and slid down to a sitting position. She took a step forward but Jiraya held out his hand. His eyes relayed one simple message. _'Don't call attention to yourself.'_

She couldn't understand why he would want her to stand by and do nothing, yet she obeyed him since he obviously knew more about the potential danger than she did. It was foolish to run into any battle and not know what your opponent was capable of. She looked at Sasuke. _'Sasuke, you were the one to tell me that. Why aren't you following your own advice now? You're letting your emotions overshadow your ability to think rationally. Your emotions...are making you weak.'_

"Sasuke, no!" Naruto yelled, getting angry. Sasuke began to fall over on his side. "Why you lousy--"

"No, Naruto! Don't butt in. Mind your own business." Sasuke panted.

Mitsukai sighed inwardly. _'Oh, boy. Here's comes another classic example of Team 7's definition of teamwork. He thinks he can handle this all on his own...'_

"I've told you before..." Sasuke stood with a pained effort. Itachi looked at him. "I've lived my whole life for this day, this moment...THIS FIGHT IS MINE!!!" An image of Itachi standing over their dead parent's bodies flashed through his mind and Sasuke launched himself back down the hall at his brother. Itachi didn't even bother to be offensive this time. He merely blocked the pathetic punch with his left hand and used his right hand to backhand the boy, once again sending him flying back down the hall spinning in mid-air.

Mitsukai cringed when she heard the sickening thud of Sasuke's body hitting the wall and then the floor. She had to admit, however, that Sasuke had a nice ballerina spin.

"Sasuke..." Naruto couldn't stand to watch his teammate taking such a beating. He looked over at Mitsukai and saw that she felt the same way.

"Not...finished..." Sasuke gasped trying to control his labored breaths. He tried to lift his left hand to make the signs for the Fireball jutsu but he couldn't even feel his arm at that point.

Itachi was beginning to get annoyed. _'He can't even manage to make the hand sign. This is costing us time that we do not have. Our chances of grabbing the Kyuubi at this point are null. I might as well give him the fight that he's craving so badly.'_

"This fight is mine." Sasuke willed his body to move, to stand up and face that monster.

There were very rare instances where Itachi failed a mission...and whenever he did, someone always paid dearly. He narrowed his eyes. "So be it."

Jiraya heard the slight hint of anger in Itachi's voice and started to step forward to intervene but Kisame stopped him. "You heard him, old man. This fight is none of our business. Let's let the two of them sort it out."

Mitsukai watched as Sasuke's target turned and began to walk towards him. By now, her mind was screaming at her to do something. Part of her just knew that if she didn't, Sasuke wouldn't walk out of here.

Sasuke noticed his brother was close to him and jumped to his feet and prepared to swing. "NOW FINALLY--" But he was cut off by a swift knee to his stomach which caused him to double over in pain. _'How?'_ Itachi drove his elbow down hard and hit a spot near the base of Sasuke's skull causing lights of every color of the rainbow to flash before his eyes. Down the hall, he saw Naruto and Mitsukai watching with pained expressions. Itachi's knee connected with Sasuke's jaw and intense waves of pain pulsed from that area. The force of the blow knocked Sasuke straight up and Itachi seized the opportunity to punch him in the stomach, just like he had the night of the massacre. Felt the wall attempt to give him cushion but being pinned between its hard surface and Itachi's powerful punch did little for him. Very little. _'All of these years...and nothing has changed. How can it be?'_ Itachi pulled back and allowed his sibling to fall to the floor.

Mitsukai watched the brutal beating and felt herself become angry. No one deserved such treatment...especially someone she had grown to care for like she did Sasuke. In her eyes, he was her little brother. In fact, in the short amount of time she had thus far spent with her team, she saw all of them as her family. Her hands balled up into fists. _'And no one harms my family.'_

Itachi reached down and picked up Sasuke by his shirt, pinning him to the wall by his throat. "You're still weak." Itachi's voice was cold and barely a whisper, yet Sasuke heard him clearly. "You don't have enough hate. And you know what?" Itachi leaned in with a sinister smirk and whispered into Sasuke's ear. "_You never will._"

Sasuke looked at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!" Itachi's eyes changed and Sasuke felt himself being pulled into another dimension.

The hairs on the back of Mitsukai's neck rose instantly as a combination of anger and fear for Sasuke's life took over her mind. "No!" She called out.

Jiraya didn't know what to do. With Kisame blocking the way, he couldn't get to Sasuke and even then he couldn't leave Naruto and Mitsukai to fend for themselves. He felt a light breeze and looked over to his right. Mitsukai was gone. He looked up and she was standing next to Sasuke and Itachi with an intense look in her eyes. He looked closer. Her blue eyes were slowly turning gold.

"Damn." Jiraya mumbled. If these two weren't sure if this was the same girl they presumed to be dead, they sure would be now.

Mitsukai grabbed Sasuke's right hand and sent her chakra into him, intending to release the Genjutsu she was sure the man was using on him. An image of gold eyes belonging to an animal flashed under her eyelids and her eyes shot open...but she wasn't in the hotel anymore. She watched from a distance as Sasuke stood at one end of a dark room with one huge window and his opponent stood almost seven feet away with a man and a woman between them, sitting back to back. Mitsukai inched forward to get a better look and gasped. All four of them looked alike.

She looked down to the table next to her and saw a portrait of the people in front of her. _'Sasuke's...family? This guy...is his brother?!'_

Her eyes returned to the two boys. Her jaw dropped in a silent scream as the older sibling raised his katana and sliced his own mother's neck open then stabbed his father. Red blood spayed Sasuke and the wall behind him making her notice that everything including them was in black and white except the blood.

_'Is this a memory? What kind of Genjutsu is this?'_ Sasuke's screams of terror pierced her thoughts and she watched as he grabbed his head, begging not to see any more. It was then that she realized that he looked a lot younger and a few inches shorter.

_'This must a memory.'_ She concluded as the scene changed and they were standing out on the street under a black moon with a red sky. Bodies fell at Sasuke's feet and blood continued to spray on him. All of these people...they were family to these two. And the oldest was making the younger one relive this painful memory as if it were simply some horror movie that they were watching for fun. Sasuke screamed and fell to his knees as the other began to walk towards him.

_No more. I will protect him with my life.'_ Mitsukai ran and put herself between Itachi and Sasuke. She looked at him defiantly, eyes daring him to try to get past her. However, Itachi was no longer intent on reaching his brother to finish the damage.

"How did you...?" Itachi asked, voice measured and even, yet his eyes held curiosity. He couldn't think of the words that could describe what she had done, but it was a surprise to see her there in his alternate universe.

"Back off. I won't let you harm him any more." Her delicate voice actually held the tone of a threat. Itachi didn't take too kindly to threats. Itachi pulled back and the three of them returned to their world. Itachi head footsteps and looked over his shoulder to see Naruto rushing at him, followed by Kisame. Mitsukai saw the blank look on Sasuke's face. _'I didn't stop him in time...'_ She could tell that the damage the Genjutsu had done to her teammate was pretty extensive. She let a hand caress his cheek.

"Forgive me, Sasuke." Mitsukai murmured. Itachi heard her speak and looked back at her. His eyes traveled from the color of her hair and eyes down to the tattoo on her leg.

"What is your name?" Itachi's tone was even yet not demanding.She looked at him and frowned. "Mitsukai. Why?"

It was as if time had stopped for a moment. He stared at her in disbelief. The Mitsukai they had known didn't remember her real name, yet this one did. This one also demonstrated power and skills no one except a member of the Akatsuki could possess. She also had the exact same tattoo that he and Kisame had taken her to get. The same tattoo he had drawn himself. However, the main thing that convinced him it was her was her hair color. He remembered the conversation with the leader about it. The color was a physical marking of the demon within her...

Before Itachi could say anything else, the walls were covered by pink and orange goo and Sasuke was pulled from his grasp. Mitsukai also let go and tried to shift her feet but couldn't.

"Naruto! Mitsukai! As long as you stay still and don't move, you'll be fine." Jiraya shouted down the hall from his crouching position.

Itachi ignored Jiraya as he began talking directly to him and Kisame. Time had run out. It was time to go. "Kisame, come."

Kisame turned to follow but his heavy sword was stuck to the pink and orange sherbet goo. "Easier said than done." He grunted then with one hard yank, pulled free. He and Itachi ran down the hall.

"Oh, no you don't." Jiraya sent more chakra into the goo and as a result, it shot from the walls and chased after the pair.Kisame looked over his shoulder and saw the goo tentacles coming after them. "Don't look now but there's a wall of flesh coming after us." He stopped and swung his sword in an attempt to stop some of the tentacles from grabbing them. "It's no use. It's too fast; we won't make it."

They continued to run and Itachi closed his eyes.

Mitsukai watched in awe as a black circle appeared on the wall and as soon as Itachi and Kisame reached it, it disappeared and created a large hole in the wall. They leapt out and were gone. Jiraya came dashing around the corner with Naruto on his heels.

As Jiraya and Naruto inspected the black fire that surrounded the hole, Mitsukai looked at Sasuke who was still lodged into the pocket in the wall of goo. His eyes were open, yet it was obvious that he wasn't staring at anything in particular. He was dangerously close to being brain dead. Wanting to asses the damage, she held up her index and middle finger and touched his forehead. She sent blue chakra into his head and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she determined that it was pretty bad. He would be okay, but that it would take months for his mind to heal itself. The goo receded and Sasuke was released. Mitsukai caught him and set him down, propping him up against the wall. She then straddled his lap and placed her hands on either side of his head, determined to make up for not saving him sooner. She sent steady pulses of chakra in, making sure she stayed focused or she would possibly kill him. She was happy to see that as the minutes wore on, he stopped drooling and his eyes slowly closed; he appeared to be sleeping now. Unfortunately, she didn't know enough to completely heal him. She held his wrist and healed that too.

She stood and looked up. Naruto and Jiraya were coming back their way. She didn't say anything about what she'd done.

-------------------------------------

"So we just run away again? We do a lot of that..." Running away from a fight was one of Kisame's biggest peeves and doing it twice in one day less than three hours apart had put him in a very bad mood.

Itachi ignored his tone. "There's no rush for now. We'll get Naruto when the time is right. Besides, I felt it wise for us to find someplace to rest a while and recharge my powers." _'On top of Tsukuyomi, to have to use the Amaterasu as well...it was more exhausting than I thought.'_ Itachi allowed his Sharingan to fade as they continued to run.

Finally, they stopped to rest for a while and formulate a new plan. Itachi sat down and leaned against a wide tree trunk, preparing to fall asleep for an hour straight as he always did whenever he used the Mangekyou Sharingan. Over the years, it was putting a greater strain on his body. He usually limited usage to once a day if needed. Other than that he didn't use it often. But three times in one day...He knew he would be asleep for hours.

"Itachi?"

Itachi lifted his gaze to his blue partner.

"Did you see her? That girl?"

Itachi didn't take his time to answer this question as he normally did for she had caught his attention as well. "Yes."

Kisame was surprised by the ready answer. "Who is she?"

"She told me her name was Mitsukai." Itachi closed his eyes.

He heard Kisame inhale sharply. "B-but that's impossible. I pulled her body out of the fire myself."

"Well, according to the being that we just encountered, I don't think you found the right body." Itachi looked at Kisame. "She has the hair, the eyes, and the tattoo. That same tattoo that we took her to get in case she ever got away and we needed to identify her. That's her."

"Then that means...we never failed to keep her alive. She simply got away somehow." Kisame looked at his hands. "I wonder what the Leader would say if we told him she was still alive."

Itachi closed his eyes again. "We'll find out soon enough...because we're taking her back with us."


	4. Missing the Team

Chapter Four: Missing the Team

The nurses left and Mitsukai was finally left alone with an unconscious Sasuke. She stared at him for what seemed like hours, trying to put together the pieces of his memories to figure out what would drive his own brother to kill everyone in their family…except his little brother. She sat down in the chair that was placed next to his bed especially for her and closed her eyes.

_Dead bodies…blood everywhere…_

Her eyes shot open. Ever since seeing Sasuke's memories due to Itachi's genjutsu, Mitsukai hadn't been able to close her eyes. As if that weren't enough, she could hear Sasuke's screams of terror ringing in her ears. She wanted it to stop. She wanted it to go away. Yet…she was curious. How did she manage to insert herself into the genjutsu in the first place? Somehow, her mind had automatically known that to release a genjutsu one had to send their chakra into the victim. That had been her intention when she grabbed Sasuke's hand.

"Then what happened?" She wondered out loud. Those gold eyes appeared faintly in her mind's eye then faded away. "What does that mean?"

"What does what mean?" A timid voice asked. She looked over her shoulder to see Sakura peeking into the room, worry in her eyes. "What happened to Sasuke?"

Mitsukai looked down at Sasuke and wondered how he would feel if Mitsukai were to tell anyone what had truly happened... "Nothing too bad. He's just really exhausted from all of that running."

"Oh." Sakura frowned, already aware that Mitsukai wasn't telling the truth. "Are you okay?"

Mitsukai paused then replied, "I've been worse." She stared at Sasuke. She needed to try the insertion again. Something told her that there was more information hidden in Sasuke's memories that could possibly help her figure out what was going on. She pulled her chair even closer to Sasuke's bed and leaned forward. "Sakura, close the door."

Sakura paused, carefully considering Mitsukai's command, and then did as she was told. "What's going on?"

"I want to try something. I'll need you to watch out for any nurses or medical ninjas, okay? If you see anyone coming, tap me." Mitsukai instructed as she lightly touched Sasuke's left forearm. Sakura bristled when she saw this but promptly turned away, refusing to allow her jealousy show. Mitsukai noticed this and gave Sakura a cold look. "Look, I'm not interested in your little knight in shining armor so cool it."

Sakura studied Mitsukai for a moment then nodded after she determined that the girl was telling the truth. "Hurry up."

Mitsukai turned back to Sasuke and closed her eyes. She remembered how she felt at the time when it happened. She remembered what she had been thinking. _'I won't let anyone harm my family…'_

Mitsukai felt her skin tingle as chakra gathered under her skin. Suddenly it was quiet and Mitsukai opened her eyes. She was still in the hospital…but things were different. Sakura was gone. Eight year old Sasuke laid in the hospital bed looking up at the ceiling, finally coming around after passing out the night before.

_'A dream?' _A child's voice whispered into her head. She recognized the voice instantly.

"Sasuke…" She looked at him. He tried to sit up and winced as pain shot through his shoulder. He looked down and was horrified to see that his shoulder was wrapped up. An image of a Chinese star being thrown and slicing that very spot crossed her mind. It was then that she was sure she had succeeded in getting into Sasuke's head. She stood back and watched as the young Sasuke slipped out of his bed and tiptoed out the door; she followed along. The voices of two nurses reached her ears.

"Yes, it's true. He was the only one who was rescued."

Sasuke leaned against the wall and listened to their conversation from around the corner.

"He had an older brother, didn't he?" The other asked.

"But they don't know where he is." Sasuke gritted his teeth angrily. Mitsukai could feel hatred make her blood boil. Sasuke snuck out of the hospital with Mitsukai on his heels. Rain had begun to fall in slow big drops when he reached a fence that was sectioned off with police "Crime Scene" tape. Sasuke ignored this and continued forward. Mitsukai reached out to see if she had to actually move the tape as well or just walk through. She was shocked when the wet plastic touched her fingertips. She moved it and followed Sasuke. He finally stopped to catch his breath, giving her time to look at their surroundings. Dried blood stained the outside of houses and the ground that they walked on. Things like lanterns were sliced open and left dangling from their posts.

"Hello, Sasuke." She turned to see a woman and her husband standing outside of their home waving at Sasuke…then they promptly faded away. Pain and the sudden sense of loneliness made her chest heavy. She put a hand over her heart and rubbed the spot, willing the tears in her eyes to go away. It was so much more than she could bear… She looked over and saw a gray stone wall that had a line of red and white fans like the one that was usually on the back of Sasuke's outfit painted on it. Her eyes skimmed the wall and stopped when they landed on one particular painting that had cracks through it. She walked over to it and touched the wall, rain now wetting her hair. The stone was cold and felt rough to the touch. More images flashed in her head as Itachi threw a shuriken at the wall and created cracks through that single fan. Itachi's speech played in her head and she became confused.

_'What did he mean?' _Mitsukai ran her hands over her hair, pushing her bangs back then letting them fall back over her face. She heard a noise from within the house in front of the cracked painting and ran inside. She found Sasuke in the family room on his knees, silent tears of grief drenching his face as he realized that he was truly all alone. Mitsukai recognized the room at once and her eyes fell on the chalk outline where his parents' bodies had once been. She forced herself to move and kneel beside Sasuke, slowly wrapping her arms around his shoulders. _'I know what it feels like to have no one to call family…to be alone…'_

The second her head rested on his shoulder, that whole tragic night replayed itself in her head. Mitsukai shut her eyes tightly and willed the images to go away; she didn't need to see it anymore. Once had been more than enough. When she opened them, she saw Sasuke standing in front of a scroll in a basement somewhere. A few candles were lit to able him to see and move in the dark. She walked up beside him and looked down at the words written on the paper that had turned yellow from the years. Just like Itachi had four years ago, she read about the Uchihas' bloodline formed from a demon named Sojobo and the forbidden doujutsu that they were capable of unlocking.

Yet, something caught her eye. There was another page underneath the one that Sasuke was looking at. She reached out and attempted to turn it but the paper slipped through her fingertips. She watched as Sasuke simply turned away from the scroll and walked off.

_'He didn't read the second page…'_ Mitsukai thought to herself. She felt a hand grab hers and suddenly she was back in the hospital room with present-day Sasuke and a worried Sakura.

"Someone's coming!" Sakura whispered urgently. Mitsukai nodded and sat back in her seat, closing her eyes while committing everything she'd just seen to memory. A nurse entered the room.

"I'm sorry but you two will have to leave. You can come back tomorrow if you'd like." She smiled warmly. Sakura began to ask the nurse questions allowing Mitsukai to slip out undetected.

-------------------------------------

Mitsukai was amazed that she'd been able to learn the way to the Nakano shrine from Sasuke's memory and actually find it. The inside was literally covered with cobweb but she ignored them, taking extra care not to disturb the homes of the innocent spiders. She located the seventh mat and moved it aside and lowered herself into the darkness. When she landed, the smell of humid musk met her sensitive noise and she gagged. She lit the candle that she had brought with her and moved forward.

On the walls on either side of the table between them, a portrait of a tengu had been painted. Something about the portraits was unnerving and made her anxious to leave. Every step became harder to take than the previous one but she didn't stop until she stood in the same exact spot as Sasuke and looked down. She gasped. There were ashes on top of the table and common sense told her that it had used to be the scroll. Someone had come back to burn it. _'But why?'_

She reached and picked up a handful of the ashes and a yellow demonic eye flashed in her head as a deep evil laugh filled her head. She dropped the ashes immediately and held her head. _'…Sojobo?'_

Now more than ever she was curious as to what had been on that second page. She also wondered why Sasuke hadn't looked at it himself. Itachi had sent him there to see. Why stop at the first page? She recalled the look on Sasuke's face when he was reading the scroll. Second glance made her realize that there had been a thin mist in front of his eyes. Itachi had cast a genjutsu on him that apparently made him only see one page.

Something about all of it didn't seem right. It made sense but too many details were missing; too many questions were going unanswered. After several minutes, Mitsukai turned and headed back for the village.

-------------------------------------

Might Gai stood before two Chuunin and four Jounin that he'd managed to gather up and took a deep breath. "I can't say too much without endangering your lives but Master Jiraya has informed me that two S-ranked ninja could possibly come after a Genin from our village."

The group didn't even twitch.

"He has ordered me to make sure that a two-man squad is with her at all times. I agree with him and will do in this manner: Every four hours the squads will switch. This will continue until he comes back with Lady Tsunade." He looked at them. "Any questions?"

One of the Chuunin raised his hand. "Why are S-Ranked ninjas after this Genin?"

Gai frowned. "That I cannot tell you."

"If we are to guard and protect this person, it is best we know exactly what is at stake here." A Jounin added.

At that moment, the door to the room that they were in opened slightly and Mitsukai slipped in silently. She stood next to Gai, staring at the floor. The group looked at her, awed by her physical appearance. Gai rested his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"This is the Genin in question. As I've said before, I cannot tell you exactly why they might come for her. All I know is that Master Jiraya deemed it very important and said it should take precedence over anything else until his return. I wouldn't ask you to do this if her sensei, Kakashi, were able to do it himself. As you may have heard, one of the S-ranked ninjas in question has him hospitalized at the moment. Same said ninja also attacked her teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, and he is in the same condition as Kakashi. They both were only attacked with genjutsu." Gai decided that he would leave out the fact that this same ninja was also a missing Nin from their village, related to Sasuke, and actually did lay hands on the younger Uchiha. He didn't want to panic more than they already seemed to be. "This is very important. Do not take this mission lightly…or you'll have to deal with me."

-------------------------------------

Mitsukai sat on her bed and looked out the window. A few stars dotted the sky but the moon was nowhere to be seen. She drew her knees up closer and hugger them tighter. Things just didn't feel the same. Her sense of security seemed to vanish when she realized that she was in danger just like Naruto. She only wished she knew why…

_'What is so special about Naruto and me that they would willingly attack those around us?'_ She sat in that same spot for hours, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. If Kakashi-sensei were there, things would be okay. But with both Kakashi and Sasuke in the hospital unconscious and Naruto and Jiraya out of town, that only left her with Sakura… She might as well have been alone.

-------------------------------------

Shikamaru and Neji approached the two Jounin that had been stationed by Mitsukai's apartment and showed them a note that had been written by Asuma relieving the men of their duties until the next squad came. Since it would be only two hours until the next squad came and it was only eleven o'clock, no one believed that this was a problem. Shikamaru chose to sit while Neji leaned up against the building.

"So have you even met this girl?" Shikamaru kept his eyes closed.

"No. Have you?" Neji scanned the area with his normal eyes. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Since she came to Konoha, all the time. She has silver hair. You can't miss her. And she wears a mask just like Kakashi. I heard Asuma-sensei and Gai-sensei commenting on how she looks like she could be his daughter. I agree. He certainly treats her as if she is. I never see him without her somewhere by his side." He shifted uncomfortably. "Man, this is such a drag. I've never known the ground to be so uncomfortable. I'd rather be in bed."

Neji smirked yet kept scanning for any potential threats. "She sounds interesting. I'd like to meet her."

"Then go knock on her door. No one's stopping you."

"She might be asleep."

Shikamaru looked up at him. "You actually considered doing it?"

"Well, yes. We should know what she looks like in case something happens. How can you protect someone if you don't know what they look like?" Neji looked at Shikamaru, slightly annoyed. Something in the distance gave him goose bumps as he stared out into the darkness.

"You say that as if—" Neji cut him off by holding up his hand.

"I think…they're here." Neji whispered. "Byakugan!" He scanned their surroundings. He paused when his eyes settled on two human figures, one of them pulsing with an enormous amount of chakra.

"What is it?" Shikamaru jumped to his feet.

"Two figures about 350 yards northwest of us…and judging by the chakra amount the tallest one has, I highly doubt they're friends." Neji's tone was serious.

"Let's get her and go to Asuma and Gai-sensei." Shikamaru turned and ran inside the building followed by Neji.

-------------------------------------

Mitsukai missed her team. With each glimpse of a forgotten memory, her self-confidence dropped considerably. With them around, she felt safe. However, being scattered like this made her feel like the target she was. She remembered that before coming to the village, she knew nothing about her past but was physically and mentally strong enough to take care of herself. After having seen her unconscious teacher and teammate and after having witness first-hand the power of her pursuers, she questioned if she could protect herself against the two men.

With the memories came emotions, emotions that allowed doubt to seep into her mind…

There was a quiet yet firm knock on her door. She opened it slowly and two boys stood in front of her.

"We're the squad that's supposed to watch over you until the next Jounin squad comes." The one with long hair and pale lavender eyes explained. "Let us come in."

They didn't give her the opportunity to speak instead choosing to push their way past her. The other one with the spiky ponytail shut the door behind them and locked it. "Where are they now?"

"Wha—" The long haired one quickly put a hand over her mouth and whispered into her ear.

"_Not you. He's speaking to me. Don't talk and do everything we say. Okay?_" She nodded and he removed his hand then looked at the other one. "They're downstairs now."

"Oh, crud. This is getting troublesome." The spiky ponytail guy scanned the room and his eyes settled on the window. "Out the window. Now."

Mitsukai froze. _'They're here? They actually came for me?'_ She couldn't explain why but part of her was already afraid. Part of her knew what would happen should they succeed in getting their hands on her. _'I don't want to go back.'_ Her mind screamed. She didn't know why she didn't want to go back or even where "back" was. She just knew that she didn't want to go.

"Wait. First let's create clones so they'll be distracted while we get away." The other suggested. He made a hand sign and one promptly appeared next to him. His friend did they same and they looked at her expectantly. "Hurry up!"

Mitsukai snapped out of her frightened daze and created a clone as well. One of them opened the window and the other helped her out. One of their clones closed the window behind them and the ponytailed one grabbed her by her wrist forcing her to run with them.

"By the way, my name's Shikamaru." The guy tossed over his shoulder.

"Neji." The one behind her stated without looking at her.

"I'm Mitsukai." She whispered but doubted they heard her over the rush of wind.

-------------------------------------

Itachi and Kisame stood outside the door. Itachi could sense three different levels of chakra behind the door, one of them way higher than the other two. Itachi stepped back, silently signaling Kisame to proceed. With one good kick, the door fell and the three clones looked up at them in surprise. Itachi immediately saw them for what they were and threw Chinese stars at their throats, causing them to disappear.

"This is already beginning to annoy me." Kisame muttered.

Itachi turned and walked back out of the room. "They're on the roof. Let's go."

-------------------------------------

_'Only a little bit further to Asuma-sensei's house—'_ Shikamaru was forced to stop when two figures in a black cloaks with red clouds and conical straw hats jumped in front of him.

"She's coming with us." Itachi narrowed his eyes at her, noting the fear in her eyes. He could never recall seeing fear in her, even when he was torturing his brother the day before and she had stood up to him. He wondered what was going on with her.

Because they had been running so fast, Neji was unable to stop himself and ended up running into Mitsukai who in turn bumped into Shikamaru and they all fell down into the alley below. Kisame stepped forward and watched them fall.

"Oh, that is priceless." He chuckled. He turned to Itachi and saw that his partner was not amused at all. "You're no fun; you know that right?"

Itachi ignored him and jumped down after them. Kisame sighed and followed. Due to the weight of the other two, Shikamaru was unable to right himself in order to land on his feet and they all landed in a heap.

"Ugh…get off!" Shikamaru groaned and Neji got up and pulled Mitsukai up with him. Shikamaru jumped up. "Let's go."

He froze when he saw that Itachi and Kisame were once again standing in front of him.

Kisame looked at the three. "Itachi, can't I just kill the other two and you grab her? If we keep this up, they'll wake the whole village."

Itachi assessed the situation. _'She's too afraid to even think straight.__ But if she manages to collect herself that means more trouble for us…'_

Shikamaru noticed that even in the dark alley, there was still enough light from the stars to cast shadows on the ground. "Neji."

Neji turned his attention to him.

"On my signal, grab her and go." He whispered under his breath. He moved quickly and made the hand sign causing his own shadow to whip out and zoom towards the Akatsuki members. Neji grabbed Mitsukai's wrist and took off running in the opposite direction. She tried to look over her shoulder to see what was going on but Neji yanked her.

"We need to signal for help. Any ideas?" Neji didn't look at her. She thought about it.

"I know a jutsu that's impossible not to notice. It should attract people's attention." She spoke up. He stopped and turned to her.

"Do it now!"

She shook off her fear and turned to the open space in front of them. She performed the hands signs quickly. "Ring of Fire!" She took a deep breath, gathering chakra in her mouth and blew it out in the form of fire, creating a ring of fire on the ground.

"That's it?!" Neji asked.

"Shut up! I'm not done!" She yelled back then did a few more hand signs then pressed her hands to the ground and suddenly a strong wind came and blew very hard. "Flaming Cyclone!"

Neji watched in awe as the small ring of fire expanded and grew, taking the shape of a humongous tornado. "You can't miss that."

Mitsukai sent even more chakra into the cyclone causing it to become miles high, towering over Konoha.

-------------------------------------

"What in the world--?" Gai stood up causing Asuma and Kurenai to do the same. They followed his line of sight as the sky was lit up with a huge fiery tornado spinning violently yet staying in one spot.

"What is that?" Asuma asked taking his cigarette out of his mouth.

Gai turned and ran for the door. "I don't know but we can't sit here and wait to find out!"

-------------------------------------

Mitsukai stood and let the inferno blaze on its own. It would die down in a few minutes but not before someone came for them. She turned and Kisame appeared suddenly, swinging his sword sapping the rest of her chakra and causing the tornado to disappear. She suddenly felt very weak and tired.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now Itachi's mad at your little friends for getting in the way and at you for being so stubborn." He grinned wickedly. Itachi appeared next to Kisame, Sharingan blazing.

"Let's go." His tone was even and lethal, and his body language suggested that he was no longer in the mood to be "nice".

Neji stood in front of Mitsukai. "Mitsukai, run. I'll distract them long enough for you to try to get away."

She only shook her head. "I-I can't. He took all of my chakra."

Shikamaru appeared next to Neji. "Just go. We'll handle them."

"You don't understand…I can't move." She whispered. "And even if I could, I wouldn't leave you two behind."

They both briefly looked back at her with appreciation being concerned about their welfare then back at Itachi and Kisame.

Itachi looked at her. "The reason you can't move…is because you're afraid to. You know that Kisame alone can kill them so that would allow me to come after you." He narrowed his eyes and his lips curled slightly an evil, cold smirk. "And you don't want to face me alone…do you?"

Mitsukai's eyes shot open. She realized that he was trying to get inside of her head with a genjutsu and promptly shut her eyes. Then she opened them again, opting to stare at the ground. _'I can't just close my eyes. Then that will put Neji and Shikamaru in even more danger.'_

Itachi was annoyed that she had once again prevented him from using his sleep inducing genjutsu on her.

"It was over here!" A voice shouted and the sound of rustling leaves followed.

Itachi didn't have to look up to know that Jounin and even some ANBU members had seen the jutsu and had come to investigate. Once again, they would have to wait. "Kisame, let's go."

"What?!" Kisame turned to him. "We're running? Again? Oh, no. Not before I take _someone's_ head off. I'm not leaving without properly dismembering someone. I-I just can't take—"

Itachi gave Kisame a death glare which promptly shut him up and they vanished.

Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai appeared around the three tired Genin.

"Are you guys okay?" Gai asked. Shikamaru and Neji nodded and looked back at Mitsukai. She wavered a bit and fell down on one knee.

_'The Flaming Cyclone jutsu absorbs enough of my chakra as it is. But then he took even more of what chakra I had left…'_ She panted slightly. She felt someone lift her up and put her on their back so she closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep.

-------------------------------------

Everyone took Jiraya seriously after the Akatsuki's attempt to kidnap Mitsukai. The original list of ninjas assigned to take shifts in watching Mitsukai were relieved of their duties and a single ANBU member was assigned to accompany her day and night, even if she was in Gai's company, until Jiraya returned.

"What's your name?" She looked at the man walking beside her as she made her way to the hospital. No one had told her that her new bodyguard was from ANBU so she assumed he was just another Jounin.

He raised an eyebrow at her. The village elders had given him a codename but he didn't expect that she would care to know it. "Miko."

Her eyes squinted as if she were scrunching up her whole face. "Oh." She didn't ask any more questions after that and chose to keep conversation between them to a minimal seeing as they really had nothing to talk about in the first place. She entered Kakashi's hospital room and he stood silently in the corner with his arms crossed, seemingly asleep. Mitsukai stared at Kakashi. It had been nearly four days since Naruto and Jiraya had left in search of Lady Tsunade. It had been three days since Itachi and Kisame had made their last appearance. With Miko with her at all times, everyone went back to their regular routines, leaving her to be alone again.

_'If you were okay, I'd be able to at least watch you read your dumb book and wonder what the heck it's about. If you were okay, I could listen to you go on and on about the journey of life or whatever you're always lecturing us about when I climb up in a tree and go to sleep. If you were okay…I wouldn't feel so alone, Kakashi-sensei.'_ Mitsukai thought, folding her arms across her chest with a quiet sigh. After her experience with going through Sasuke's mind, she didn't dare try to go into Kakashi's or even attempt to heal his mind a bit. She didn't want to take a chance of harming him. She could barely stand Sakura as it was so trying to spend more time with her just to try to make herself feel like she wasn't alone was way out of the question. The only thing she could really do was sit and wait for Naruto to return.

_'I…miss them. I miss being with the team as a whole. I actually miss training with them…arguing with them…laughing with them…It's like we've broken apart…'_ She stood up. She noticed that the flowers in the vase that Sakura had put on the window sill were beginning to wilt. She smirked sadly. Sakura would be coming their way soon. She left the room and Miko followed silently.

In Sasuke's room, the curtains hadn't been opened yet so she took it upon herself to open them. Sunlight filled the room and shone on Sasuke's pale face.

"You need more sunshine." Mitsukai joked to herself as she sat in the chair next to him. "People will think you're some sort of madman if you spend all of your time sitting in the dark."

Sasuke didn't even twitch. She found it comforting to know that she could say whatever she wanted to him and he would most likely not be able to recall any of her words. However, it was so much more fun when he reacted to her. She reached forward and brushed his hair away from his face. Five days and he was still a vegetable. And there was nothing she could do to help.

She sat there for nearly thirty minutes like she did every day, first simply regretting not having done something earlier to prevent it. Then she would remember that Sasuke would have been peeved if she proved her definition of teamwork based on their team's actions correct by stepping in. Finally she would think about Itachi and Sasuke's past…and the scroll.

At last she stood and looked at Miko.

He sensed her gazing at him. "Yes?"

"You don't have to follow me everywhere every single day, do you?"

"Yes. You know that by now."

"I know. I'm just wondering what you would rather be doing right about now." She shrugged and walked out of the room. Miko knew that she was trying to bait him into making small talk yet willingly took the bait anyway.

"I've wanted to get some ramen at Ichiraku for a while now. Eating in your apartment has gotten a bit boring, I'm afraid." He rubbed the back of his head with an apologetic smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, I'm sorry if I can't entertain you properly." She looked ahead of them. "Then to Ichiraku we go. I'm sure Naruto would have a fit if he knew I haven't been checking in on the owner like he asked me to."

Miko only nodded. There was a loud crash and an explosion shortly followed by screams. Miko stiffened then rested his hand on her shoulder. "Stay here." He was gone before she could say a word. She was about to look in the direction that commotion had come from when a girl landed in front of her. She had long black hair and emerald green eyes that almost seemed blank, like Neji's lavender eyes. The girl stood, revealing that she was only a few inches taller than Mitsukai.

"Who are you?" The girl asked. "I've seen you around Sasuke and his team but no one will tell me who you are."

"It depends on who _you_ are." Mitsukai answered tilting her head to the side. The girl mocked Mitsukai's movement then sighed.

"I don't have time to play with you, little girl. I heard some Akatsuki members were after you not too long ago. What do they want with you?"

Mitsukai shrugged. "If I knew I still wouldn't tell you."

The girl frowned. "And if I had the time…I would _kill_ you. But I have to go." She looked over her shoulder then back at Mitsukai. "You seem like you can hold your own so I'll tell you something. Leave this pathetic village while you can before they try to control you as well."

Mitsukai just stared blankly.

"I'm tired of it here. I'm leaving. It's a small world; I'm sure I'll see you again."

Mitsukai snapped out of her confused daze. "You can't just leave. Then you'll become a missing nin."

The girl scoffed and waved Mitsukai off. "Like I give a damn." The she disappeared.

Mitsukai stood there wondering if the whole thing had really happened. Miko reappeared.

"Are you okay?" He looked at the lost expression on her face.

"I think so." She shook her head. "Let's go eat. I think I've gotten so hungry that I'm starting to hallucinate."

-------------------------------------

The next nine days seemed to crawl along at a snail's pace, making Mitsukai briefly wonder if Naruto was even going to come back. She and Miko discovered that sitting on the roof of her apartment building and watching the villagers move about their daily routines was the most effective way to pass time since they usually both would fall asleep.

Mitsukai had chosen to watch clouds float by in the sky when Miko noticed a kid in an orange jumpsuit dash down the street and smiled. If she didn't notice this then he wasn't going to point it out to her. She'd find out sooner or later.

-------------------------------------

Lady Tsunade healed both Kakashi and Sasuke. It took them a while to get their bodies moving around but they were back to normal in no time. Naruto and Sakura beamed up at them but both Kakashi and Sasuke noticed that it seemed like someone was missing.

"Where's Mitsukai?" Kakashi looked around. Before Sakura could open her mouth, Naruto cut her off.

"Hey! You're right! She was so worried about you two that she actually chose to stay here with you guys instead of going with me and the Pervey Sage to go find Granny Tsunade!" He looked around.

"Uh…Naruto, I don't that you can call our future Hokage that." Sakura sighed.

"Really?" Kakashi seemed surprised by this. Sasuke only stared at the wall in front of him.

"Whatever. She'll always be Granny Tsunade to me. Believe it!" Naruto chuckled. "I'll go find Mitsukai and we can all meet at Ichiraku for ramen to celebrate."

For the first time in a while, no one protested or argued with him; they all nodded in agreement. Naruto turned and headed for Mitsukai's apartment.

-------------------------------------

It was well into the afternoon when Miko heard someone shouting for Mitsukai. He looked over at her, waiting for her to wake up on her own.

"No…Naruto, just five more minutes…" She mumbled in her sleep. It seemed as if she realized what she'd said and instantly sat up, eyes slightly closed.

"Hey, Mitsukai! Where the heck are ya anyway?" Naruto yelled. Mitsukai shook off her sleepiness and looked over at Miko.

"Naruto's been back for a few hours now. I would believe that your team has reunited and may be waiting for you." He looked back at the landscape of Konoha. Before Mitsukai could comment, her window opened and Naruto jumped out onto the roof with them.

"Mitsy, I've been looking all over for you. Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke are awake. We're supposed to meet them at Ichiraku for ramen!" Naruto smiled. It finally dawned on Mitsukai that she was actually looking at Naruto and that what he was saying was true. She felt the emptiness that had been with her for the past two weeks finally fill as joy made her smile broadly underneath her mask. She was even happy to hear him call her Mitsy, a nickname that she had yet to officially accept and adopt. "Well, what are you waiting for?! I WANT RAMEN!!!!"

She stood and Miko did the same. Naruto looked at him. "Who the heck are you?"

"Miko. It's nice to finally meet you, Naruto." Miko nodded in Naruto's direction.

"Are you coming, Miko?" Mitsukai looked at him. He nodded. "Then let's go. I think I missed lunch while napping."

As planned, the other three members of their team were standing outside of Ichiraku waiting. When Mitsukai's eyes landed on Kakashi and Sasuke, she had to fight back tears. She had waited so long for this moment and now she didn't even know what to do. _'I'm not alone anymore…I have my team back…'_

Kakashi nodded towards Miko in recognition and Miko returned the nod. He placed a hand on Mitsukai's shoulder. "This is where I leave you."

She turned to him. "What?"

"My assignment is over. Master Jiraya has returned and your sensei is well. You'll be safe now with them around. I'm not needed anymore." Miko explained.

Mitsukai nodded. "Will I see you around the village?"

Miko shook his head. "I highly doubt you'll ever _see_ me again, however I will see you. I'll always be around, Mitsukai."

Mitsukai took a minute to process what he was saying then finally nodded. He promptly disappeared and she turned back to her team.

Naruto scratched his head and Sasuke also looked intrigued. Naruto looked between her and Sakura. "What the heck happened while I was gone? Why did you need him around? Who was he again?"

"Naruto, I thought you wanted ramen?" Kakashi guided the boy towards the restaurant.

"Huh? Oh, I do!!!!" He rushed to a stool.

"Naruto! It's good to see that you're back." The owner smiled while drying a bowl with a towel. "And you brought your friends with you…and your sensei! Is this a reunion?"

"Yep!"

"We

"ALL RIGHT!!!!"

-------------------------------------

It was dark and the moon hung in the sky. Naruto and Mitsukai sat on the roof outside of her apartment window. He listened intently as she explained everything that had happened once he and Jiraya had left. He had gotten angry that no one took the "Pervey Sage" seriously but at the same time was relieved to know that they had acted accordingly afterwards.

"You know, I missed you guys." Naruto admitted to her. She looked at him. He continued to look at the sky. "I worried about Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke. I worried about how Sakura was doing…but I was worried about you the most. Knowing that those guys actually did come back for you…part of me wishes I could have been here to protect you. I mean, you didn't even know what was going on but when Sasuke said that I was in danger, you made sure I was safe. If you hadn't found the Pervey Sage in time…who knows, huh?"

Mitsukai hugged her knees tighter. Just knowing that things would be okay restored her self-confidence and some of her personal sense of security. "You have a lot of people that care about you. I wish I had people to care about me like that."

"You do." Naruto looked at her. "I would never allow anything to happen to you, Mitsy. You're family."

She held her breath. _'That's what I've been saying this whole time…' _"Family?"

Naruto put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Jiraya had explained to him Mitsukai's past and her relation to the Akatsuki. Naruto now knew that three people understood what it was like to grow up all alone. "Yeah. You're the sister I've always wanted. Just like Sasuke is the brother I've always wanted. Although we're constantly arguing, we would never let someone hurt the others. We're constantly competing to become stronger and more skilled than the others also. Iruka-sensei is like my dad; he's always been there for me. Kakashi-sensei is like my lazy uncle; he's always late and reading his book." Mitsukai relaxed and rested her head on Naruto's shoulder, looking up at him to watch him while he spoke. "Granny Tsunade is my saggy old granny and the Pervey Sage is my perverted old granddad. Konohamuru is my hyper little brother."

"What about Sakura?"

"Sakura?" He began to blush. "She's my future wife."

At this, Mitsukai tried her hardest not to laugh. "Oh, okay."

"Mitsy?"

"Yeah?"

"…Can I see your face?" Naruto looked down at her. "I promise not to tell anyone else."

She sat up and looked at him. No one had ever seen her face before. She thought about what he had just told her. He would never want to hurt her…so she could trust him enough to allow him to see the real her. She reached up and gently tugged the mask down. The material fell around her neck and she looked at him. He studied her for a moment then reached out and touched her cheek.

He withdrew his hand after a moment and smirked. "I knew you were pretty." Her eyes widened then she blushed. "You shouldn't hide your face. I understand that it makes you look all mysterious and whatnot—"

"That's not why I wear—"

"—but you're a nice person once you get to know someone. Leave the being cold and distant thing to Sasuke; he enjoys being like that."

They sat in silence for a moment. "Maybe one day I'll stop wearing it completely."

"And on that day I want us to take a new picture of the team with you included. Deal?"

Mitsukai looked at him. A smile formed and she nodded. "Deal."


	5. Taken Away

Chapter Five: Taken Away

Kakashi wasted no time getting right back to training. At first, Mitsukai was more than happy to be facing Sasuke, but by the third day, she realized that something was different about him. His attacks were more brutal and he was a lot harder on her. He had no problem hitting her and often became angry if she managed to hit him back. He didn't seem to actually see _her_; she suspected that he pictured his brother instead.

"Sasuke." Kakashi put his book down. Sasuke ignored him and kept swinging at Mitsukai. She kept jumping out of his way and did a back flip to avoid one of his punches. Instead, he took advantage of this and landed a well placed kick to her stomach, making her lose her balance and fall on her back hard. She gasped as her diaphragm fought to regulate her breathing. The heel of Sasuke's foot came into view and she instantly shielded her face to prepare herself for the attack. But it didn't come.

"Sasuke, I don't know what's gotten into you but you need to calm down. There's no reason to be so tough with her." Kakashi held Sasuke by the back of his collar, keeping him out of Mitsukai's range. Sasuke huffed angrily then calmed down.

"Forgive me." He whispered and Kakashi let him go. Sasuke helped Mitsukai up. She nodded then watched him walk away.

_'Sasuke,'_ Mitsukai brushed dirt off of herself, _'This is your brother's doing. Before he came back you weren't this cold…now he has you questioning everything that Kakashi-sensei has taught you. I can see it in your eyes. You intended to defeat me by any means necessary until Kakashi-sensei stepped in. What could have Itachi said to you…to make you turn so cold?'_

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"I'm sending you four on a simple mission. There's a farmer who needs help…" Tsunade began to explain but Mitsukai wasn't listening. Upon hearing the word "sending", her mind instantly flashed back to the two members of the Akatsuki who tried to capture her. They almost succeeded even in the middle of the village. She could only imagine how they would fair against the four of them. She looked to her left and let her eyes take in her teammates. When compared to the level of the two Akatsuki members, even Kakashi-sensei was weaker than them. It was bad enough that they were after Naruto but if she were to be added to situation, that'd only put the other three at a greater risk. "Mitsukai."

Her attention snapped back to the woman seated before them. "Yes?"

"You have every right to be worried." She nodded.

Mitsukai's eyes widened then she let her head hang.

"What's she talking about?" Naruto looked curiously between the two.

"She's wary of accompanying you on this mission with the whereabouts of the two Akatsuki members whom are after you two unknown. It's in her eyes. With them already after you, Naruto, she knows that if she goes along that would only increase the chances of them trying to make a grab. I'm sorry, Kakashi, but even you must admit there's no way you could protect both at once." She waved a hand dismissively.

"So what are you saying?!" Naruto leaned forward.

"She's staying here." Tsunade sat back. Naruto's jaw dropped open in shock.

"Whaa--?! We can't just leave her here! The last time we did that they came after her anyway! Granny, have you gone nuts?!" Naruto spat fire. Kakashi only held his head in one hand as Sasuke and Sakura looked at Mitsukai.

"Naruto," Kakashi put a hand on the pre-teen's shoulder, "Please be logical about this. She's right. I can't protect both you and her at one time."

"You could use shadow clones." Naruto pointed out. "And if that doesn't convince you then _I _can use shadow clones."

"Naruto, shadow clones are useless against a Sharingan user." Sasuke interjected.

Naruto looked between the three then his eyes finally connected with Mitsukai's. "I won't leave you here again. I promised that I would protect you. You can come. I'll protect you."

"Naruto," Mitsukai shook her head, "Listen to someone else's reasoning for once. They're all right and I agree. Besides…I want to stay here." Images of Itachi from Sasuke's memories flashed in her mind and she shivered. There was something about him that chilled her to the bone. Every time she saw him since she'd seen those memories made her freeze up in terror. There were few things that scared her like that and he was now definitely number one on the list. _'Those demonic eyes and lifeless expression. No one can be that emotionless, that expressionless…It's almost as if he's not human at all.'_ If staying in the Leaf village meant decreasing the odds of seeing him again by even one percent, it was worth being separated from her team again. "It's safer for all of us this way."

Naturally, Naruto threw a fit in a way that would make a three year old seem mature; Kakashi had to literally drag him out of the Fifth's office. The others followed them out the door.

"Mitsukai?" Tsunade called out. She stopped and turned around. "Please close the door and come here."

Mitsukai did as she was told and took her place in front of the desk once more. Shizune, the Hokage's aide, shifted uncomfortably but remained quiet. "Yes?"

"You want to know why the Akatsuki are after you and Naruto?" Tsunade laced her fingers together and then rested her chin on top of them.

Mitsukai's interest rose at an incredible speed. "You know why?"

"Yes, I was informed by Jiraya and he wasn't sure if you should be told since your memory hasn't fully come back yet. I know you know enough that it's time that someone told you. You may want to sit down." She gestured to a chair positioned slightly to her right. Mitsukai took it and leaned forward just a little bit. "Now, I won't tell you everything but I will tell you the most important thing. You and Naruto are Jinchuuriki."

Of all the reasons Mitsukai thought she would hear, that certainly didn't make the list. "We're what?"

"Jinchuuriki. People who have a tailed demon sealed within them."

Mitsukai blinked several times.

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto knows about Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox, that's in him. He's even been able get it to let him use its chakra on occasion. Jiraya told me that the Akatsuki personally sealed a demon within you. He's not sure which one it is, but he is sure that they will stop at nothing to get you back. They feel that you belong to them."

Mitsukai stared. "A demon? In me? You're kidding, right?"

"This isn't something I'd joke about." The expression on the woman's face was very serious. "Also, he told me that your birthday is on December tenth. That would make you fifteen."

Mitsukai felt a smile form. "I'm older than I thought I was."

"You only thought that because Kakashi assumed that you were. Your team heads out tomorrow afternoon. I assigned your last bodyguard to resume his duty—"

"Miko?!" Mitsukai's eyes shined with hope. She'd missed him lately.

Tsunade's eyebrow arched in interest. "Yes."

"Cool. Then this won't be too bad." Mitsukai nodded.

"Yes but he's out on a mission and won't be back until the day after tomorrow."

Mitsukai paused then nodded again. "I'll be fine until then."

"Good. Shizune, go deliver this message to the ANBU captain so he'll know to send that member along as soon as he comes back." Tsunade handed a note to her. The girl nodded and left.

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Sasuke sat in his favored tree out in the training field, watching the sun set. His mind was overloaded with a million thoughts. _'How could I be beaten so easily? He didn't even seem like he was making a real effort to hurt me…'_ He let out a wry chuckle. _'That's why. I let my emotions get in the way. I was so concerned about that idiot that it clouded my judgment. A true shinobi doesn't just charge at his opponent when he doesn't know what his opponent is capable of. My stupid emotions…__Stupid Naruto…Stupid me.'_

There was a rustle and Mitsukai landed in front of him. She saw the annoyed expression on his face and sat down in front of him, straddling the branch. "I've been looking for you. Kakashi-sensei said I might find you here."

"You found me. Now go away." Sasuke muttered bitterly. Mitsukai tilted her head to the side.

"Touchy, aren't we?"

"You're annoying the hell out of me. Go. Away." He closed his eyes.

"Okay but can I talk to you about something first?"

"I apologized for trying to beat the crap out of you earlier. What more could we have to talk about?"

Mitsukai's shoulders slumped. "I wasn't talking about that. I meant about your brother, Itachi."

Sasuke stared at her. There was one word he didn't want to hear at that time and she had just said it. "I do not want to talk about him."

"Sasuke, please. I need to…know. I need to hear it from you."

"Why?"

"Back when he was using that genjutsu attack on you...somehow when I tried to pull you out of it—" At this Sasuke grit his teeth and balled his fists up at his sides. "—I accidentally was pulled into it as well. Everything you saw, I saw as well. He…He killed your family?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and nodded slowly. _'If I answer her questions, she'll go away.'_

"From what I saw…he didn't give you a real reason. He just wants you to hate him and get the same eyes as him."

"I'm sure you have a point for saying all of this." He narrowed his eyes.

"Well, while you were unconscious in the hospital, I kinda did it again." She fidgeted.

He leaned forward and lowered his voice to an icy whisper. "Did what?"

Mitsukai took a deep breath. "I looked at your memories again. This time I saw scenes from after that night like when you woke up in the hospital that next day… and when you went to that shrine."

Sasuke's eyes widened with anger. He felt as if he had been spied on. "Why would you do that?"

"I needed answers!" Mitsukai could sense his rage brewing. "I wanted to know why Itachi did that and I thought that maybe you knew."

Sasuke jumped to his feet, towering over her. "How would I know?!"

"I thought he told you. He mentioned going to a temple so I thought that if I saw a bit more I'd know." Sasuke turned his back to her and bit his lip. She lowered her voice. "I saw you reading a scroll about the Mangekyou Sharingan. Did you know that there was a second page? I think that whatever was on that page may have explained why he did it."

Sasuke turned to face her, anger blazing in his eyes. "You don't know shit! He's a monster that wants to die! That's all, Mitsukai. There's nothing more to that other than the fact that he had one bad day and took it out on people who loved him. Now he wants me to avenge our clan by punishing him with the same death he made them suffer. He made me an avenger…and I plan to one day do my job."

Mitsukai bowed her head and nodded. "I understand."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't share with anyone anything you saw. That's personal information that I've never shared with anyone and I never intended to. You _stole_ those memories and then you co me to me wanting to explain away his crime. I do not care to know _why_ he did it; I only want to see him die. Because of that night, I cannot have a future. I live in my past because it defines my purpose in life."

"What will you do after you kill him?" She didn't dare look at him.

He was silent for several minutes. "I will revive my clan."

She slowly brought her eyes up to him and was surprised that he was looking down at her. "How do you know that you'll be able to? How do you know that he won't injure you in such a way that you die earlier than you plan to?"

Sasuke's face became blank, empty of emotion. Her blood ran cold when, for a fleeting moment, she thought she was looking at Itachi. "Then so be it. If meeting him in battle means the extinction of the Uchiha blood…then that will be the outcome. As long as he's dead, I will be able to rest peacefully."

She took a deep breath and exhaled silently. "I understand."

Sasuke studied her for a moment. "I don't know what he wants with you. I don't know what he wants with Naruto. I do know this: I personally do not care for you individually however I will keep him from acquiring either one of you. It's the least I can do for forgetting my basic ninja principles when I first met with him in battle."

Mitsukai frowned. "But—"

He silenced her by holding up her hand. "I've told you once. Emotions only make you weaker. Caring for any of you will only hold me back. Don't ask me to reconsider. I have a job to do. You have power and skills that you don't even need. I have to work hard in order to surpass my brother and kill him. You three are nothing more than comrades. Not teammates, not friends. Understood?"

She bowed her head again, unable to look at him.

"Surely you can understand this. You said that you traveled alone for years. Look at you now."

"Sasuke, you don't understand my past…Itachi used to be my sensei."

His eyes widened.

"The reason the Akatsuki are after me…is because they did something to me and they believe that I belong to them. I know that Itachi trained me himself." She lowered her voice so much that Sasuke had to strain to hear her and it was only the two of them for at least a mile. "I don't want to go back…The more I remember my past the more afraid of him I become. He has this aura about him…like he's…evil. I don't know what they have planned for me and I don't want to find out. Itachi's the reason I'm so…skilled as you put it."

Sasuke felt his blood boil. _'How could he?'_ Sasuke remembered all of the times he had to practically beg his older brother to train with him yet a female who didn't have a speck of their blood in her was worthy of his attention and devotion? Her speed was incredible…her battle tactics were exemplary. The more he analyzed her, the more he saw Itachi. Everything from the way she moved in battle, the way she formed the seals for her jutsu, even her "poker face" was modeled after that monster. Here she was claiming to want to know why Itachi murdered their clan in cold blood, when she knew and was only taunting him.

His stare became icy and murderous. "If I didn't intend for my first kill to be Itachi, I'd kill you right now. I know I'm skilled enough and capable of doing it. How dare you try to toy with me?"

Confusion showed in her eyes as she scooted away from him. "What are you talking about?"

"You trained with him. How could you _not_ know why he did it?" He took a step forward. "You only want to taunt me for watching your _real_ sensei defeat me so easily."

If she hadn't been concerned with the possibility of her life being in danger, she would have laughed. "I don't even remember actually training with him. I just know that I did."

"Keep lying to me and I'll do my best to beat you within an inch of your life." He took another step towards her. She looked back and realized that if she moved any more, the branch would be too thin to support her weight. He knelt down and grabbed her shirt. "Admit that you know why he did it. Admit that you only want to taunt me. Admit that you are loyal to him."

She placed a hand on his wrist and tried to pull it away from her. "Sasuke, I'm sorry that I looked at your memories, and I'm sorry that your brother did what he did…but I have nothing to do with him. I may have all those years ago…but not now. I just want to help you figure out why he did it…and help you bring him down in any way I can."

Sasuke let her go and stood. "I don't need your sympathy nor do I need your help. I can handle this on my own."

"Just like you did when he kicked you and you went flying down the hall with a nice mid-air ballerina spin?" She snapped and turned her nose up at him. She gasped as one of his hands grabbed her hair and yanked her head back and the other pressed a kunai to her neck.

"I don't intend for you to be my first kill." He stated evenly. "But you _are_ asking for it." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw his red eyes. She'd managed to unintentionally piss him off more. Not good.

"I apologize." She closed her eyes and swallowed to ease the dryness of her throat. Long seconds passed before he released her. When she finally opened her eyes, he was gone.

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Itachi and Kisame sat side by side as they looked at the holographic projection of their leader. "You failed to capture the Kyuubi?"

"Yes; we were not aware that he'd be accompanied by one of the legendary Sannin until we reached the village and actually saw them. We'll need to re-think our strategy." Itachi murmured.

"That is understandable. We have to capture the other Bijuu and seal them before we seal the Kyuubi or else the statue will not be balanced and will crumble. Take your time. However, Kisame, I've decided to personally assign you the four tails, Soukou. For now, everyone's missions are to simply locate the Bijuu. Once that's done, we'll move in and begin extracting them and sealing them. Head back to headquarters." The figure faded and Kisame looked at Itachi.

"Why didn't you mention that the girl is still alive?"

Itachi looked at him then stood. He dismissed the question and started walking. "It's time to go meet with the informant."

Kisame sighed with annoyance and followed. They came across a man who looked around nervously.

"What information do you have for us?" Kisame demanded.

The man jumped at the sound of his voice and began to shiver with fear. "H-h-her team has been sent on a mission. They leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Where are they going?" Itachi asked in his flat, uninterested tone.

"That is not important for the Fifth has ordered her to stay in the village. She believes that if both the girl and the boy were to leave the village only being protected by just their sensei, it would be more likely that you'd try to take them."

"Damn straight." Kisame chuckled. Itachi cut his eyes at the blue man.

"Continue." Itachi ordered.

The man swallowed. "The morning after her team leaves, a member of ANBU will be assigned to stay with her at all times until the team returns. The Fifth has also mentioned that she may assign this member to permanently watch over the girl even when she goes out on future missions. She's not allowed to leave the village until it's decided that it's safe for her to do so."

Itachi's mind sorted out the information. "There's a large gap between the time her team leaves and the time her guard arrives to her. Why?"

"He is currently on his way back from a mission and will not be here until that morning. As soon as he arrives, he will be sent directly to her."

"They're willing to chance that we won't show up during that night?" Kisame frowned. "They're getting very careless."

"Unless they plan to have someone secretly watch over her." Itachi looked at the man for confirmation. The man nodded in agreement.

"A team of five Chuunin and five Jounin."

Itachi turned away. "That will do. Go back and make sure they stick with that plan."

The man nodded and literally ran back to the village.

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Mitsukai found the branch she had first sat on back when she first arrived to the village a little over a month beforehand and waited. According to Naruto, they were ready to leave now. She leaned forward and rested her head on her folded arm to create a pillow. The wide branch sparked memories from that day and they flooded her mind.

_'…__M__y name's Kakashi. What's yours?'_

She smiled. Even then he was kind and gentle with her. He gave her a strong sense of security that she welcomed. She didn't have to constantly be on guard with him around.

_'My name's Naruto Uzumaki! One day, I'm gonna__ become the Hokage! Believe it!'_

She closed her eyes as her smile widened. He was so annoying; yet one couldn't help but to accept him as a friend.

_'My name's Sakura Haruno.'_

Hearing those words in her head made her cringe again. However, she had to admit the girl wasn't as irritating as she thought she would be.

_Sasuke__ didn't say anything, shoving his hands into his black shorts pockets._

Just as mysterious and distant as ever. She heard excited chatter and looked up to see her team walking towards the village's only entrance and exit. She jumped down.

"So, you guys are finally leaving?" Naruto and Sakura turned towards her but Sasuke kept his back to her.

"Yeah." Naruto rubbed the back of his head with a depressed look on his face. Sakura only nodded.

"Hurry up and come back." She closed her eyes as she smiled and felt two bodies throw themselves on her. She opened her eyes to see Naruto and Sakura anchored to her.

Naruto moved her silver bangs out of her face to look her directly in her deep blue eyes. "You'd better be here when I get back or else there's gonna be trouble. You got that?"

"Okay…" She tried to lean away from him but Sakura was on the other side.

"Please be safe, Mitsukai." She squeezed her tighter.

"Okay!" Mitsukai choke out. The two of them finally let her go and re-adjusted their backpacks. They all looked over at Sasuke who looked over his shoulder and shot Mitsukai a dirty look. Her head dropped. She hadn't expected him say anything but that look was a little more than she could bear. She saw someone's feet approach her and she looked up to find Sasuke standing in front of her. For the longest time they stood there staring at each other.

"Um…guys?" Naruto's eyes darted back and forth between the two.

Sasuke's gaze was intense and it took every ounce of will power to keep Mitsukai from looking away. Finally it softened and he put a hand on her shoulder. "You heard them. Be safe and you had better be here when we return."

She exhaled with relief and nodded. Sasuke moved and Kakashi stood in front of her. "If they do happen to show up before Miko comes in the morning, promise me you'll go straight to the Hokage."

She nodded, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Promise me that if you're unable to make it there, you'll create a signal like you did last time?"

Again, she nodded.

"Good. Then you'll be fine." He turned and walked off. Mitsukai waved at her departing sensei and teammates until they had disappeared. When they were completely out of sight, that familiar sense of loneliness settled in and her sense of security vanished.

_'Miko, please hurry back…Kakashi-sensei, you guys too.'_

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Mitsukai woke early that next morning to sound of hard rain pounding her window. Relief washed through her when she realized that she had made it through the night without a visit from the Akatsuki. Miko was due to be back in the village within those next few hours so all would be well. She smiled warmly and rolled over, opting to sleep another hour.

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One thing that the Akatsuki were aware of was the fact that their cloaks stood out in a crowd. Although it was very early in the morning and the streets were practically empty, it made no sense to Itachi for them to risk being recognized. The solution was simple: he and Kisame used a transformation jutsu to disguise themselves as two teenagers. They even held an actual conversation to make it more believable. No one stopped the two boys to ask questions, instead ignoring their presence altogether.

"Her building is just up ahead." Kisame pointed out. Itachi nodded.

"Remember: in and out. We don't want her causing any commotion or trying to run. As soon as you lay eyes on her, absorb her chakra. I'll do the rest." Itachi looked up at Kisame who nodded.

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Mitsukai had trouble going back to sleep. For some reason, her body was suddenly too fidgety to go back to sleep. Her nerves were almost fried because she jumped at every little noise. She decided to take a shower and get dressed. Once that was done, she made her bed and tidied up the rest of her apartment—anything to keep her moving around.

There was a sudden knock on the door that almost caused her to jump out of her skin. She put a hand over her heart and ordered herself to calm down. Surely it was Miko. She approached the door and put her hand on the knob and froze.

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Itachi's finely tuned ears could hear everything that went on behind the door. She was alone…and she was afraid. He could almost hear her heart beat increase along with her quick gasps for air. What was about them that frightened her so badly?

Her hand touched the door knob and she froze. Maybe she could sense them by their chakra…Itachi quickly dismissed the thought. In order to do that, one had to be calm. That was something she surely wasn't.

"W-who is it?" She sounded as if she had just gotten out of bed; her voice was very delicate and her words slightly dragged along. Itachi looked at Kisame then spoke.

"I'm a Jounin with a message from the ANBU captain in regards to the guard who was assigned to watch over you. There's been a slight delay and we must escort you to the Hokage at once."

He listened intently. Her hand left the door knob and she took a few steps back. She paused as if contemplating his words. She then turned and hurried across the room towards the window. Itachi signaled for Kisame to break the door down. She stood on her bed trying to open her window enough to get out. Both he and Kisame stepped inside of the room.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!" Itachi muttered and waved his hand and a strong gust of wind caused the window to slam shut before she could hoist herself up to get out. Itachi lessened the chakra flow and his normal Sharingan returned. He could not afford to use it too much today.

Mitsukai whirled around to face them, careful to avoid eye contact with Itachi. "What do you want with me?!"

"You belong to us. Let's go." Itachi stated evenly, seemingly bored with the whole situation. "You can choose to walk out of here or be carried unconsciously. Either way, there's no escape. You have no choice in the matter."

Mitsukai looked around for something to help her.

"Kisame." Itachi whispered and Kisame automatically knew what to do. He stepped forward and made one wide swipe with his sword, effectively sapping her dry of chakra. She stumbled to her left and looked at them in confusion.

"What did you do…?" She fell over on her side, unconscious. Itachi smirked. She'd made the mistake of dropping her guard and looked him directly in the eye. His sleep genjutsu worked.

Kisame approached the girl and bent down. "I _still_ can't believe you're _alive_. I'm sure it was your body I pulled out of that fire…" He studied her sleeping face with awe.

"Kisame, come." Itachi commanded. Kisame sighed and lifted Mitsukai up and threw her over his shoulder. "We don't have all day."

"I know, I know. I also know that I have yet to be rewarded with a kill…"

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Miko came to Mitsukai's apartment door and froze. The door and been kicked down and the room was slightly messy, papers and other light objects scattered about the room as if she'd opened a window or turned on the fan too high. He knew Mitsukai well enough to know that she wasn't a messy person, especially when she knew that she would have company.

"I must go inform the Hokage." He told himself and disappeared in a puff of smoke.


	6. The Way It Should Be

Author's Note: It makes no sense to me that a bunch of S-Class ninjas would have no problem obeying orders from someone they've never seen before. So in my story, the Akatsuki members know what each one looks like with the exception of Sasori. His case is special since he works with puppets and no one really knows his true form; he often switches "shells" to confuse enemies. Oh and I didn't realize my last chapter was a cliffhanger. Sorry.

* * *

Chapter Six: The Way It Should Be

Mitsukai woke up soaking wet. Rain poured down hard and it chilled her to the bone. She realized she was being carried over someone's shoulder. She squirmed and tried to sit up but was stopped by a gruff voice.

"Hey, stop moving around!" Kisame ordered. She turned around and was frozen in fear. For the first time she was able to get a good look at his face and the first thing she noticed was his sharp teeth. Her scream pierced the air and Itachi quickly moved behind Kisame and put a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up." He ordered and she did. He returned to Kisame's side and they continued to walk in silence. For a few minutes, Mitsukai hung over his shoulder contemplating her next move but she realized that she didn't have enough chakra to even move her legs fast enough to escape.

"Can you please put me down?" She asked with a shiver; the temperature was dropping and it was getting colder outside.

"No." Itachi replied curtly. Mitsukai made a face.

"I need to use the bathroom and his shoulder is pressing into my bladder." She then narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy if I peed on him."

Kisame stopped abruptly and looked at Itachi. "There is no way in hell you can say no to that."

Itachi closed his eyes in annoyance and nodded once. Kisame put Mitsukai down and it wasn't until he did so that she realized just how tall the man was. "Kisame, leash her."

"Huh?" Mitsukai was about to ask what he meant when Kisame's cold fingers moved around her neck and tied a rope around it.

"Now go." Kisame gave her slight shove. Itachi watched her walk off and disappear behind a tree then closed his eyes again. His hat shielded him from the rain like an umbrella so he wasn't wet at all. "I think we should give her something to protect her from the rain and the cold."

Itachi looked at Kisame. "You think too much."

"Itachi, I'm cold all the time so I can tell she's slowly losing body heat in this weather. She'll get sick and that will slow us down." Kisame crossed his arms. "Besides, I doubt you'll carry her at any time within the next few days so the least you could do is appease me and my concerns."

Itachi's dull black eyes seemed to stare a hole through Kisame. "She'll be fine."

Kisame threw his hands up in frustration. "Fine! But don't get mad when I say I told you so." He tugged on the rope and Mitsukai stumbled out from behind a tree trying to fix her shorts and retie her sash. When she was standing back in front of Itachi and Kisame, Itachi reached out and snatched off her headband.

"Hey!" She tried to take it back but he knocked her hand away and pressed the back of his hand onto her forehead. He didn't sense the change in her body temperature and handed her back the headband.

"Back in the village you seemed to be afraid of us. What happened to that fear?" Itachi eyed her, peering at her over the collar of his cloak.

Mitsukai froze. _'Good question.'_ She shrugged. "I don't know."

Kisame chuckled. "I think maybe she's gotten used to us again…or me at least." He leaned forward so that he could look her in the eye. "You and I used to spend every single day together. Remember?"

She shook her head. _'Yet it would explain why I'm able to relax around him despite how scary he looks.'_

Kisame's smile fell. "You don't remember? For five years I had to keep up with you and you don't remember?"

"I remember you…" Her gaze shifted to Itachi then back. "…and him…but I don't remember everything. Before I reached the Hidden Leaf village, I didn't remember anything from my past. Master Jiraya sparked my memories and ever since things come to me in glimpses or in my sleep as a dream."

Itachi hadn't moved once but he was listening intently. _'Memory loss? How convenient is it that she disappears and returns with memory loss…'_ "Let's keep moving."

Kisame and Mitsukai watched Itachi move forward leaving them behind.

"I don't wanna go!" Mitsukai screamed and tried to run away but Kisame tugged the rope and she almost flew back into his arms. He lifted the screaming girl over his shoulder and followed his partner. Itachi didn't even bother to silence her this time. They were very close to the Fire Country's border and no one else would dare try to interfere with another country's problem.

For hours, she kicked and screamed and the rain continued to pour down. Soon the sun began to set and Kisame suggested that they stop and rest. When Itachi didn't respond, he took that as a way of Itachi agreeing and turned to look at the girl draped over his shoulder. He could definitely feel her shivering now and she had stopped screaming and kicking.

"Hey, kid? You okay?" Kisame poked her leg with his free hand.

"I'm fine." She muttered then let out a barking cough. Kisame shot Itachi a dirty "I told you so" look but Itachi pretended not to see it. Kisame set her down and noted the sleepy look in her eyes.

"Are you sure? You don't look too hot."

"Do you honestly care? Or are you just asking me that to annoy me?" She leaned up against a tree and slid down to its trunk, hugging her knees. Kisame only grunted and tied the remaining length of the rope around the trunk of the tree. He looked up at the sky as rain continued to fall then over at his silent partner who had also picked a tree to lean against.

"I can't start a fire under these conditions." He shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. We don't need one." Itachi muttered under his breath, sounding as if he were falling asleep.

Kisame looked at Mitsukai. "Do you want to stay up in shifts to watch over her?"

Itachi's black eyes looked up at the girl who appeared to be sleep with her face buried behind her knees. "I don't believe that's needed either. If she tries to run, I'll catch her. For now, get some sleep…you have another day of carrying to do."

Kisame frowned and looked at Mitsukai. The rain had thoroughly soaked her clothes and now her temperature was beginning to spike. She was beginning to cough more and he often heard her sniffle and occasionally sneeze. He knew that if he just let the girl sleep like that, exposed to the rain, overnight then in the morning they would all have hell to pay. "Itachi, we need to cover her up with something."

Itachi closed his eyes. "That's not a requirement. What do you propose we use to cover her up with? My cloak? There's no need for two of us to be sick. Do you want to wrap her up in my cloak with me? So I can get wet and eventually get sick from being so close to her?"

"Well, I meant—" This was the most Kisame had ever heard from the teen at one time.

"Or do you want to give her your cloak?" Itachi glared. Kisame scratched his head, having no idea how to respond to this outburst. When Kisame didn't respond, Itachi lowered his hat and sat back. Kisame looked over at Mitsukai and grit his teeth. There were very few people that he'd cared about in the wide span of his life…and little Mitsukai had been one of them. True, she wasn't some pathetic weakling who needed his protection but nonetheless she was his personal mission. Years ago, their leader had told him to make sure she was safe and well at all times; he intended to do that even now. He got up and pulled off his hat and put it on her head. Luckily his hat was so big that it pretty much sheltered her from the rain. However, she would have to deal with the cold of the night on her own.

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Mitsukai woke to the sounds of shuffling feet but didn't open her eyes. She felt like crap. Her body was weak. Her throat was sore. When she breathed, the cool morning air made her lungs burn. Her nose was runny. She was so cold that her body shivered periodically on its own and her back ached. The urge to go back to sleep was overwhelming.

Kisame looked down at the girl and sighed. They were officially in hell. Itachi knew by just looking at her how bad her illness had become. Still, it wasn't his problem since he wouldn't be the one to carry her.

Kisame nudged Mitsukai with his finger and tried to hand her a rice cake but she didn't move. "Itachi, what if she gets so sick, she actually dies? Then we'll fail the mission…again."

"I won't die." Mitsukai mumbled as she sat up.

"Good." Itachi replied coldly and turned away from them.

"I'd like to know why you put this demon in me…and what you plan to do with me." She looked up at them.

"That information is not intended for you to know." Itachi's reply made it seem like he was once again bored with them. He remembered that she didn't remember anything…and smirked when he came up with a remedy for it. He moved over to her and waited for her to look up at him.

"What?" She tilted her head slightly.

"Hm." He smirked then channeled some chakra to his eyes. "Mangekyou Sharingan!"

"Itachi!" Kisame started to move but thought better of it. Mitsukai stared at Itachi as the sky turned red with faint black clouds.

"What…where am I?" She stood shakily, nearly losing her balance.

_'We're in your mind.'_ Itachi's flat baritone voice echoed in the barren world.

"Why? And why is it so empty here?" She looked around for him, yet not really wanting to find him.

_'To restore your memories. __It's empty because I make it so. It's necessary to sort everything out.'_

Mitsukai sighed. She was too tired for this. She sat down and got comfortable. "Fine. Do as you wish, Itachi-sensei." She closed her eyes.

_'It's been ages since I accepted that title. I'm no longer your sensei, child__…and I don't wish to be.'_

Mitsukai didn't bother to try to explain that she hadn't meant to call him that. It was just a random thought that had crossed her mind.

_'Let'__s get started.'_

"…I don't like you. Why would I waste my time pretending to like you…" His voice made her freeze. She opened her eyes and slowly brought her eyes up to her father's. His glare was so icy that it actually made her shiver harder. His disdain for her was so apparent that she briefly wondered if Itachi was "nicer" than he. She remembered the day he spoke those words to her; it had been the day after her fifth birthday. She remembered how he had made her feel—hatred. It was the first time in her young life that she had ever hated something or someone. She turned away from him and closed her eyes again.

"Go away." She whispered. Just the image of him stirred emotions that she until that moment couldn't remember ever having felt. The tall choppy brown haired and blue eyed man had never loved her. He was the reason she clung so tightly to Kakashi; she only wanted to be loved by an older male figure in her life. She wanted to feel safe while she slept and for once let her guard down and have fun…like she had with her team.

"Mitsukai." A woman's soft voice called out to her. She looked back and what she saw brought tears to her eyes. In her heart, she knew the woman. She had shoulder length black hair and deep brown eyes that seemed to smile.

"Mother?" Her throat became tight and her eyes burned; for the first time in four years, Mitsukai cried. She crawled towards her mother slowly, for the first time seeing her mother since her death. Tears flowed from her eyes as a distant memory enveloped her in its arms. A subtle scent of lavender reached her nose and an onslaught of memories of her mother attacked and overloaded her mind. She sobbed quietly as her mother held her, gently stroking the top of her head. She could feel the woman's love pour into her own body through contact. She had always wondered and now she knew: she had always been loved. She remembered her mother caring for her, dressing her up like a doll, even protecting her from her heartless father's meaningless hatred.

"Mitsukai, please don't cry. It'll be okay." She whispered into her daughter's ear. Akina pulled back and held Mitsukai's face in her hands. "My sweet little angel…don't cry. The pain will go away. Mommy promises." She pressed her lips to Mitsukai's forehead and Mitsukai remembered. Mitsukai had gotten a splinter in her finger while playing in their backyard. She had gone to her father…and he had pushed her away so she went to her mother. She wanted nothing more but to hold onto this memory, this moment in her life, forever. Her mother pulled her back into her arms and held her again, whispering promises into her baby's ear.

_'That's enough.'_ Itachi's voice shattered the moment and Akina vanished, leaving Mitsukai alone again.

"N-no…please…just…a little more time." Mitsukai hugged herself, desperate to fill the void and absence of warmth her mother had left.

"Relax, Little One."

Her tear-filled eyes looked up to find a blonde sea green eyed boy looking down at her. For some reason, relief washed over her and her tears slowly began to dry up. It was him. The second piece of her memory that she had remembered. The one she had always considered to be her older brother.

Suddenly barren world changed into a familiar setting. The room was filled with men wearing black cloaks with red clouds and they were all watching Itachi and the blonde spar. A younger Mitsukai ran to Itachi's opponent and wrapped her arms around his waist. Tears lined her eyes. _'Please, Deidara-sensei, open your eyes and see it for what it really is--a Genjutsu!'_

"Deidara-sensei, may I show my mother what I learned today?" Little Mitsukai asked as Deidara carried her on his back."Huh? Oh, sure. Yeah. Whatever pleases you." Deidara responded dismissively.

"Deidara…" Mitsukai repeated the name. If it hadn't have been for him, her training with the Akatsuki would never have been as easy as it had. He reached out for her, offering her his hand. She started to reach out and take it but he disappeared into thin air. Suddenly fire circled her and she was in a room, fire spreading quickly.

Little Mitsukai screamed then looked at her parents, who were sleeping. The fire had reached the front door and the flames had reached everything around her in a thirteen foot radius...and it was reaching for her parents."No!!!" Little Mitsukai ran over to them and shook them violently, screaming for them to wake up. Mitsukai stood, watching her own memory as pain and guilt consumed her. _'No…'_But they wouldn't. _'No…I didn't mean to…'_Smoke blackened the air and it became harder for little Mitsukai to breathe. Her movements started to slow down as the lack of clean air made her feel faint. Mitsukai felt her chest tighten as tears formed in her eyes. _'It was an accident…'__'Foolish child,'_ she heard a deep voice whisper inside of her head, _'How can you worry about others when your own life is in peril? You cannot save them. You must save yourself...or you will kill us both.'_

"I-I didn't mean to hurt them…" Mitsukai whispered as she fell to her knees.

A cool clean breeze blew on her cheek and she saw her home in flames. She watched the neighbors surround the house, attempting to put out the flames. People rushed past her, shouting things her deaf ears could not hear. All she could hear was the violent roar of the flames as wood splintered and cracked from the heat._'Run...'_She shook her head. "No…"_'Run...run away...'_"This is just a memory…I can't run away anymore." She told herself._'RUN!'_ The voice barked. Gold eyes appeared in her mind along with the canines of a dog. She felt her skin tingle as that familiar chakra circulated throughout her body. _'Break free __of this illusion __and run!'_

She realized with a jolt that she was no longer seeing a memory but the voice was real and it wasn't Itachi. Itachi released his Tsukuyomi genjutsu and looked at the girl in awe.

"What did you do?!" Kisame watched as the thin layer of gold chakra became visible to them.

"I released the black box the demon put on her memories. However, I didn't anticipate that her emotions were boxed in as well…" Itachi muttered as they watched Mitsukai fall to her knees holding her head and screaming as if she were on fire. "The Houkou…it's able to control her thoughts."

"If I'm not mistaken, is it not the god of illusion? That would make the mind its province. Her mind is its playground." Kisame unsheathed his blade.

Every emotion Mitsukai had ever felt slammed into her mind at once, causing her to slowly loose control. They watched her carefully, waiting to see what she would do. Tears flowed freely as she hunched over on her hands and knees. Her breaths were short and deep. Itachi watched her using his Sharingan and noted the sudden increase in chakra.

"Get ready." Itachi instructed Kisame. As if on cue, Mitsukai jumped up and took of running at an incredible speed, becoming nothing but a silver blur to Kisame's eyes. A violent wind blew fiercely in her aftermath, causing both Itachi and Kisame to hold onto their hats. Itachi said nothing as he focused his chakra and gathered it in the soles of his feet and Kisame did the same, causing them to disappear as well. As they chased after her, Kisame realized something.

"Hey, this is the first time we've actually fulfilled our original purpose as partners."

Itachi looked at him.

"Remember? We were originally paired together because we are the only ones capable of catching and keeping up with her."

Itachi returned his attention to Mitsukai. "Right." Itachi noticed a glimpse of lilac and pointed. "There."

Kisame wasted no time sending a little chakra into his blade then swinging it. By doing this, he was able to extend the range of the Sharkskin's affect, enabling him to reach her at a longer distance. Mitsukai's body fell limp. Itachi stopped beside her and squatted down.

"Itachi." Itachi looked up at a confused Kisame. "That shouldn't have been able to do no more than sap her chakra—"

"Don't forget; she's also ill." Itachi pointed out. "Her body was already weakened."

Kisame shot Itachi a disapproving glare. Itachi used one hand to turn her over slightly. As he expected, she was pale. He reached around her head and tugged slightly at the knot on her headband and it loosened and fell off into his hand. He then reached over with his other hand to feel her forehead. She was as warm as bread fresh from an oven. "Damn."

"I've said it once; I'll say it again. We need to wrap her up." Kisame stated firmly.

"Fine." Itachi stood and pocketed the girl's forehead protector. "We'll stop in the next village and spend the night in a hotel room. We'll be in Amegakure by tomorrow night."

Kisame stepped forward to collect Mitsukai but Itachi lifted her up and carried her in his arms. Itachi noticed Kisame's quizzical look and sighed. "It would draw attention if we went into town with her thrown over your shoulder."

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Kisame had to use transformation jutsu whenever he needed to interact with the villagers because his true form usually scared the locals. Although Itachi never said anything, Kisame swore that Itachi would mentally make fun of him about this. The inn that Kisame had found was fairly cheap and had a vacancy: a room with two queen sized beds. Kisame paid for the room and asked for an extra cot but the innkeeper informed them that he didn't have any extras available. Once inside the room, Itachi laid a shivering and feverish Mitsukai on one of the beds and informed Kisame that he would go out and buy her an additional blanket.

Kisame watched Mitsukai sleep while he waited to Itachi to return. He leaned over and touched her sleeve; the material was damp and cold. He reached up and moved her wet hair away from her face and looked at her. Even though he was touching her, he still couldn't bring his mind to wrap around the fact that the girl he was sure he'd pulled lifeless and burnt to a crisp from the fire was in front of him. It wasn't every day that a ghost from your past shows up…

The door opened and Itachi stepped back in carrying a gray wool blanket. He laid the blanket by her feet and continued to walk over to the table by the window. He slid off his cloak. "I bought dinner."

Kisame stood and inspected what Itachi had bought: fried rice. He wasn't too surprised because Itachi often bought fried rice. He went back over to Mitsukai and tapped her several times but she didn't move. He frowned with disappointment.

"Leave her. If she gets hungry, she'll wake up." Itachi muttered staring at his plate of food. Instead, Kisame picked up the blanket and wrapped her up. He got a bit carried away, and by the time he was done, she was bundled up like newborn and it seemed as if she had been cocooned in the blanket. Nonetheless, her shivering subsided and she seemed to sleep better. He looked at her, making sure she was okay then turned back to Itachi. Kisame noted with amusement that Itachi's plate was empty. Kisame ate his food slowly, savoring the taste of shrimp, and then crawled into his bed. It took him only two minutes to fall asleep.

Itachi sat in his chair and stared at the bundle lying on his bed. The last time he shared a bed with anyone was when Sasuke was a little kid and had been afraid of the storm. Itachi would have opted to sleep in the chair but he knew that he wouldn't get the rest needed to restore his chakra after using Tsukuyomi on Mitsukai. Finally he stood and went over to the bed. He pulled the comforter back and put it over Mitsukai, and then he laid down next to her, falling asleep on top of the comforter.

It didn't seem like Itachi had been sleep long when he heard a faint whimper from Mitsukai. He rolled over and looked at her and saw her struggling to get out of the blanket. "You're not going anywhere."

She didn't react as if she heard him yet rolled over to face him. Her eyes were closed. She strained against the blanket so he sat up and went around the bed to her side.

"What's her problem?" Kisame muttered. Itachi didn't answer. He had a pretty good idea what was wrong. He pulled the comforter off of her then carefully pulled her up and unwrapped the blanket. As soon as she was able to move, she moved off in the direction of the bathroom.

"She had to use the bathroom. Go back to sleep." Itachi sat down and waited for her to finish. The toilet flushed and she came out. She stood in that one spot and Itachi realized that she was falling asleep while standing up. "Come here."

Her feet moved forward in his direction yet she didn't open her eyes to look at him. Kisame saw this and was amused. Itachi picked up the blanket and wrapped her up again, except making sure she was able to get out of it should she need to go the bathroom again. They both reclaimed their spots in the bed and Kisame went back to sleep. Itachi went back to staring at a random point on the wall until his mind settled down and he fell asleep.

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The next morning Itachi was already up and moving around when Kisame woke up that next morning. "Geez, did you even go to sleep?"

Itachi ignored his question. "We should get going. Dawn was two hours ago. We're behind schedule."

Kisame groaned but rolled out of bed. He noticed that Mitsukai's dinner was still sitting on the table, covered up by a napkin. He went over to her and nudged her again, calling her name. "Mitsukai, wake up and eat."

"Kisame. Don't worry about it. Just take it with you."

"You sure are talking a lot lately." Kisame muttered.

"That's because I have to. If I didn't say something, we'd be all day." Itachi pulled on his cloak and made sure his weapons were secure. "Collect her and let's go."

Kisame said nothing else. He wrapped her food up and put it in the pouch that he carried inside his cloak then picked her up, opting to carry her bridal style instead of over his shoulder. Mitsukai literally slept throughout the rest of the journey, only waking once around one in the morning to relieve herself. Two hours after that brief stop, Itachi, Kisame, and a sleeping Mitsukai stood outside of a wall of rock that was part of a huge mountain.

"It's been a while since we were last here." Kisame noted while shifting Mitsukai from his arms to over his shoulder. Itachi didn't comment but instead held up two fingers to make the tiger sign using the hand that his ring rested on. Kisame saw this and did the same using his ring hand. Their rings flickered briefly as they both channeled their chakra into their rings. Instantly, they were teleported to the other side of the rock.

The inside of their headquarters hadn't changed much since they had last been there almost a year ago. On the outside, it looked like a regular mountain, but on the inside it was their mansion. The leader had "persuaded" the men of the Hidden Rain village to carve the inside of the mountain into a hidden military base. It was even furnished with running water, electricity, plumbing, and a heating and air conditioning system. There was a living area, a kitchen, a laundry room, bedrooms for each individual, the leader's office, and an actual conference room for their meetings. It had taken nearly a full year for the construction to be complete but to the leader it was necessary.

Kisame shifted Mitsukai back into his arms and followed Itachi through the living room. They passed a huge round guy with a mask over his face who was sitting at the kitchen table working on a puppet. Sasori noticed the body that Kisame was carrying. "You caught the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?"

Itachi ignored him. Kisame only shook his head and continued to follow his partner. When they reached the stairs that led up to the second level, Zetsu appeared. "The leader has been waiting for your arrival." The white side of him informed them politely. However, the other side was a bit more malicious. "He wants you two to go up to his office. _Now_."

The pair followed him in silence down the long hallway. Mitsukai shifted uncomfortably in Kisame's arms but didn't make a sound. Zetsu looked back at Kisame and the lighter side looked at the bundle in his arms curiously. "Bringing home pets now, Kisame?"

Kisame opened his mouth to speak but Itachi shot him a warning look. Zetsu frowned and turned back around. He opened a door and stepped to the side, motioning them to go forward. Itachi and Kisame stepped inside the dimly lit room and Zetsu closed the door behind them.

"It took you two almost four days to return. Did you run into trouble along the way?" A woman's voice asked. In the darkness, Itachi could make out two figures: one standing and one sitting. He knew that Konan was standing beside their leader.

"Not exactly." Itachi's monotone voice replied.

"Explain." A male's voice spoke firmly yet wasn't as loud as one would expect.

Itachi took a minute to figure out the best way to explain to them what they found in the fewest words possible. He then glanced at Kisame out of the corner of his eye and Kisame nodded. He approached the desk and laid the bundle down on it with care.

"What's this?" Konan leaned forward. Kisame carefully, but quickly, unwrapped the blanket. Her eyes widened. "It can't be."

The leader stood up quickly, causing his chair to slide backwards. Mitsukai shivered from the sudden exposure but remained asleep, turning over on her right side and exposing the tattoo that covered her left leg. Their leader stared down at the girl with his gray eyes, seemingly shell shocked.

Itachi's voice broke the silence. "We ran into her after we found the nine tails. She arrived with the Toad Sage."

Pein reached out and moved her hair away from her forehead. She was hot to the touch. "She's ill?"

"Yes." Kisame replied.

He stood erect and his gray eyes returned to Itachi and Kisame. "Put her in the empty room next to Deidara. Wake him up and have him tend to her. I'll formally address this issue in the morning when everyone's here and awake."

They understood this to be their signal to dismiss themselves so Kisame picked up Mitsukai and followed Itachi out the door. Itachi felt a sense of accomplishment as he looked over at Mitsukai. His bedroom was across the hall from the room that their leader had assigned her. There were no windows or other ways to escape. Even then, if she wanted to get out, she'd have to be accompanied by a member with a ring; the rings were the only way to teleport in and out. He would able to sleep soundly.

Kisame heard Itachi's bedroom door shut quietly as he turned into the vacant room. Like all the other bedrooms, they were provided a bed, dresser for their clothes, and a personal bathroom. There was also a small skylight so that they could tell what time of day it was. On the bed, there was a stack of white cotton sheets and pillow cases, and then a huge black satin comforter folded neatly beside the sheets and pillow cases. He cut on the bathroom light then crossed the room to the bed where he sat her down. She laid down and rolled over on her right side, facing the rock wall. He went next door and knocked.

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Deidara rolled over three times and fell out of the bed, landing on the hard floor.

"Who the hell is that knocking at this time of night, yeah?" He muttered and stood. He staggered over to his door and snatched it open. "What the hell do you want?"

Kisame frowned. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit of a lemon?"

Deidara stared.

"Okay well, leader said tend to the girl in the next room." Kisame spoke gruffly then left. Deidara leaned sleepily against the door frame, slowly drifting back to sleep. He managed to catch himself before he lost his balance and staggered out into the hallway.

"This had better be worth it…I swear…yeah…" He complained as he went into the next room as directed. His eyes roamed the room until they landed on the bed. Like Kisame had said, there was someone there. He moved closer and what he saw effectively paralyzed him with disbelief. Silver hair spilled out onto the floor…He took another step forward. A tattoo of a dragon wound up the girl's leg, the Chinese symbols for water, fire, lightning, wind, and earth surrounding it. His hand moved on its own as it reached out and lifted the sleeve on her left arm. There was a faint scar…He knew that scar well. It had appeared after Kazuku had broken her arm. He stood directly behind her and gently laid a finger on her shoulder to pull her back just enough to get a look at her face. She wore a mask.

"How can it be?" Somehow he just knew it was her.

Mitsukai rolled over onto her back and sighed, her body fighting to breathe normally however forced to do so through her mouth. Deidara looked at her. Her hair was longer, way longer, than he remembered. She looked older, taller…_'But how?'_ He remembered that night. Kisame had laid the charred body on the ground, had said he found it in her room…was it possible that he had been mistaken? He brushed her bangs away as if parting a curtain then knelt down so that he was eye level with her face. He reached forward and grasped the material of her mask between his thumb and index finger. Her hand shot up and grabbed his wrist in a tight grip causing him to stop.

"Are you awake?" He whispered. She didn't answer. Her grip loosened and her hand fell back down to the bed as she turned her face directly toward him. He gently tugged the material down, revealing her face. He took a deep breath as joy washed over him. For four years he had wondered what he could have done to save her. For four years he wondered what life in the Akatsuki would have been like with her by his side. Four long and lonely years…had now come to an end. "Mitsukai."

She stirred slightly at the sound of her name but didn't wake. He didn't care. He ran the back of his fingers along her hot cheek and smiled. She was okay. _She was alive._ Kisame's instructions interrupted his moment. Oh, yeah. He was to tend to her. He gently pressed his hand to her forehead and realized that she was running a very high fever. He clutched the fabric of her shirt sleeve and scowled. Apparently she had been in the rain and wore the wet clothes one day too long. He remembered with a smirk the last time she had been brought to him like this. The night of the fire in which her parents had died, Zetsu had found her in the forest soaking wet. Then she hadn't gotten sick to later that next day. Now she was already sick.

He stood and left the room, going down the hall to the laundry room where the scent of laundry detergent hit his nose. He flicked on the light and looked around. Luckily, they had extra clothes that they wore underneath their cloaks. Deidara guessed that she was about Itachi's size. He grabbed her a shirt and some pants and decided that while he had her bathe he could throw her underwear in the washer and dryer. In addition to the shirt and pants, he found her a fresh pair of socks. Judging by how out of it she was, she would spend a while in bed.

He hustled back to her room and put the clothes on the dresser. He went into the bathroom and started to fill the tub with semi-hot water; he didn't want to scald her but he also knew that with her fever, anything less than her exact temperature would feel like ice water. While the tub filled, he tried to wake her up.

"Mitsukai." He shook her gently but she didn't move. He then decided to wake her the way he used to. He leaned in very close to her ear and shouted her name. "MITSUKAI!"

She popped up in a daze. "Huh?"

"Go take a bath." He instructed pulling her off of the bed. To his surprise, she didn't ask questions or complain. She followed him into the bathroom. He showed her where the bath towels, washcloths, and soap was and told her to take her clothes off then set it outside the bathroom door so he could wash her clothes before she got out. He went out into the hallway and she sleepily did as he said. Once she had completely stripped down, she put the clothes outside the door and shut it. When he heard the door shut, he came back into the room, scooped up the pile of clothes, and went to the laundry room. Mitsukai eased herself down into the tub and washed up. Because it already felt like she was moving in water, it took her way longer than necessary since she actually was in water. She repeated the process twice then laid back fell asleep.

The clothes were washed and dried within thirty minutes because Deidara didn't let the wash cycle finish properly and then put the clothes in the dryer on high heat. When he came back to the room, he knocked on the door. The first time he didn't get an answer but the second time he pounded on the door, he could hear the water slosh around in the tube and a few seconds later she cracked the door open.

"Put these on." He handed her the clothes and she took them.

"Thank you." She whispered and closed the door. He turned and then went and made her bed for her, fixing the sheets, pillows, and comforter. Right when he was adjusting the comforter, the door opened and she stepped out in Itachi's clothes, which slightly hung off of her. He shrugged. Itachi was taller than her but she'd be warm. She leaned against the wall and waited for him to finish. He motioned for her to come closer and she did.

"You might as well take your hair down, yeah." He muttered taking the damp ribbon of the end along with the tag that had been attached to it. Once he had gotten rid of that, he pulled back the covers on her bed and she climbed in. He tucked her in and turned to leave.

"Wait…" She sounded as if she was slowly losing consciousness and sleep was beginning to settle in. He stopped and turned to her. "Aren't you…Deidara?"

A smile curled his lips slightly. "Yeah."

For the first time in years, he actually saw her smile. "I was hoping I'd get to me—" She sneezed. "—et you…Can you stay in here with me? I'd sleep better knowing that someone that I trust was in here."

Deidara couldn't picture himself saying no to his "Little One." He nodded and turned off the bathroom light. She scooted over closer to the wall and he laid down on top of the comforter, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. He didn't care that she was sick and that it was possible that the leader or Itachi would wake up in the morning and fuss about his staying in her room. She had asked him to stay. That was all that mattered.

-------------------------------------------

When Deidara woke up the next morning, Itachi was standing over him with a peeved look on his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

There were few times that Deidara could remember hearing Itachi's voice so he wasn't all too sure if he was awake or dreaming. He continued to stare at Itachi. Mitsukai was sleeping soundly on her stomach, drooling slightly on her pillow.

"What are you doing?" Itachi repeated.

Deidara sighed. "She asked me to stay in here with her, yeah."

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. _'She's not yours to protect. She's my mission.'_ "There's a meeting in five minutes. Everyone is to be there." His gaze shifted to Mitsukai. "Her included."

Itachi turned and stalked out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind him. Deidara shook his head and got up, stretching and yawning. He looked back at Mitsukai. She was sleeping so soundly… He decided that right after the meeting (if he and his partner, Sasori, weren't assigned any missions) he and Mitsukai would get right back in bed. He was owed a few hours of sleep and she needed all the rest she could get.

Waking her wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. He settled on dragging her out of the bed and as a result, she caught herself and simply stood up. Her hair was everywhere so he picked up the gray wool blanket he'd put on the dresser last night and wrapped it around her, then guided her to the meeting room.

As expected, the room wasn't too bright; the lights were bright enough to barely make out faces. Deidara guided Mitsukai to a seat next to Itachi and took the one on her other side. She immediately leaned forward and put her head down, going back to sleep. The other members seemed uninterested in being in the same room for first time in years; they were more concerned with the silver haired girl who was now snoring. Pein came in followed by Konan and they both took their seats.

"It's good to know that you're all well." He stated making all of them direct their attention to him. "I've called this emergency meeting for one simple reason, and I'm sure you've noticed her sitting between Itachi and Deidara."

At this Hidan lazily opened one eye to see what he was talking about then shut it again. "Big fucking deal."

Pein ignored him. "I'm sure you all remember her. We thought she died during the fire four years ago."

Recognition dawned on a few faces; even Hidan opened his eyes and leaned forward to get a better look. Mitsukai continued to snore now drooling on the table. Deidara noticed this and elbowed her, causing her to stop then sit up and lean on his shoulder. She opened her eyes and noticed the curious looks…and went back to sleep.

"How did she survive?" Kazuku asked out of curiosity.

Pein looked at Itachi expectantly. "If you have information to share, do so."

Itachi closed his eyes and spoke slowly, making sure that he could be heard the first time since he wasn't in the mood to repeat himself. He was still contemplating whether or not he should snap one of Deidara's arms off. "I used my Sharingan to go inside her head and look at her memories. They weren't readily available as they should have been so I used Tsukuyomi on her to unlock them. I found out that the demon had boxed up all of her memories from the first eleven years of her life up until the morning after the fire. I opened the box."

Most of the members gave him blank stares, utterly confused to some degree. However, the leader was livid. "You did what?"

Itachi noted his tone. "I didn't know that her emotions were attached to those memories."

"Exactly." Pein hadn't raised his voice yet they all could tell that he was very unhappy with this information. "It was a stroke of luck that she suppressed her memories and emotions. There's no telling what her mental state is now. She could be useless to us now."

"That isn't entirely true." Itachi spoke evenly and carefully. "There was an incident while we were trying to capture the Kyuubi and my little brother interfered. She appeared while I was using Tsukuyomi on him and managed to insert herself into his mind and my genjutsu. It takes a highly skilled shinobi to get into one's mind as easily as she did."

This made the leader sit back and weave his fingers together. "Continue."

"She killed her parents. She accidentally started a fire while trying to show a technique she'd learned from Deidara to them."

The leader tilted his head to the side slightly. "She knew she wasn't allowed to show them anything. Why would she go against us?"

Itachi cut his eyes at Deidara. "Her _sensei_ at that time unknowingly gave her permission."

Deidara sat up a little causing Mitsukai to lay her head back down on the table. "I did not, yeah!"

Itachi didn't respond to the blonde. Pein sighed. "I wouldn't put it past you, Deidara. You had an attention span to rival hers when you were younger. Not that it matters now. We don't have to worry about that pest of a mother of hers to deal with." He returned his attention to Itachi who took this to be a sign to continue.

"She also started the fire of the Boshoku headquarters. However, Houkou had control of her body. It killed the servant boy and left his body there for us to find and assume it was her. She used the same technique to create a signal for help that she used to engulf the building in flames. When she used this technique the second time, she seemed to be afraid of Kisame and I. It would better to just teach her how to deal with her emotions."

Pein nodded slowly, taking in the information. "What was she doing with the Jinchuuriki?"

"She was extended an invitation from the village elders due to Master Jiraya's concern for her. We learned that he knows a great deal about the Akatsuki and even told a few others that we know of about us. We intended to bring Kakashi Hatake back with us but another Jounin appeared stating that ANBU was on the way. She was on the Jinchuuriki's team."

"It seems she got closer to your target than you did." Zetsu's darker side chuckled.

Kisame glared at the fly trap but didn't say anything. Mitsukai lifted her head and turned it towards Pein, breathing through her mouth, causing her to snore a bit louder.

Deidara looked down at her. "So now that she's back, who will she be partnered with, yeah?"

Pein closed his gray eyes. "Who she originally meant to be paired with: Itachi and Kisame."

Deidara wanted to complain but thought better of it.

"Itachi and Kisame," the pair looked up, "What I said then still applies now. She is your concurrent mission. You are to protect her and keep her with us at all times. If she manages to escape, it is up to you two to bring her back. Due to her obvious wanting to leave, I will not give her a ring since that will only enable her to teleport out of headquarters."

"But it would help us locate her faster." Kisame pointed out.

"True but it presents her with an opportunity that would do nothing but waste our time. As far as I'm concerned, she isn't a full member, yet she is very important to us. Just Deidara is. She's a vital part of my plan, even more so since she infiltrated the Kyuubi's team. She's knows information that could help us capture him later on. Itachi," Itachi looked up at him, "I know that you're captain of your team. I hold you solely responsible for her. She belongs to you so I hope that you won't let what's yours get away from you." Pein smirked. He knew exactly how to Itachi to focus…make him feel more superior than he already did.

Itachi nodded, "Understood."

Pein lowered his gaze to Mitsukai, who was still drooling and sleeping soundly. "As for now, she's too sick to do anything. It's better that she stay rest until she fully recovers. And the next time it rains," he cut his eyes at the pair, "I trust that you'll take better care of her. Kisame, you remember the first time she got sick after being in the rain. Itachi, she's vulnerable to rainwater. Remember that. Deidara, since you and Sasori have already located both of your targets, I'll allow you two to rest. That allows you to tend to her until she's well. Now that you've all been informed of her return, and things are the way it should be, meeting adjourned."

-------------------------------------------

For the next three days, Mitsukai was ordered to stay in the bed and rest by Deidara. She slept through the first two days but on the third she wanted to get up and move around.

"No. You're still a bit pale, yeah."

She whined. "But you said that my temperature went down! I should at least be able to move around.."

Deidara examined the clay bird he had made, "Maybe later."

She sighed and fell back on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "You are being unfair."

Deidara shrugged, "That's your personal opinion, yeah. So what do you think about being paired with Kisame and Itachi?"

Mitsukai looked at him then rolled over to face him. "You mean Fish Head and Mr. Sunshine?"

Deidara's eyes bugged out then he proceeded to laugh silently. "That's a good one, yeah! 'Fish Head and Mr. Sunshine'…"

Mitsukai giggled watching the man laugh. "Was it that funny?"

"If you knew how much I hate Itachi…" Deidara calmed down and continued examining the bird.

Mitsukai's eyebrows raised in interest. _'He hates Itachi__? Is__ it because of that fight they had back then?'_ "Okay. I'm hungry." She jumped out of the bed quickly and ran out the door.

"Hey!" Deidara chased after her. In the kitchen, Mitsukai found Hidan fixing himself lunch.

She peered around the tall man. "Are you making enough for two? May I have some?"

He looked down at her as if a bug had landed on him, "Hell no. Now go away."

"Hidan quit being so rude, yeah." Deidara muttered then looked at Mitsukai. "Would you like some ramen? I know we have that."

Mitsukai nodded. He guided her to the table while he gathered everything he would need. Hidan muttered some more curse words and left with his food leaving Mitsukai and Deidara alone. She watched the blonde move around and couldn't help but to believe that if she had been anyone else…she would be on her own. She was surrounded by S-Class ninjas, all thought to have no compassion for anything or anyone other than themselves. Yet here one of them had volunteered to cook for her.

"Deidara?" She whispered staring down at the table.

"Hmm?" He looked over his shoulder.

"Why…why are you taking care of me?"

"Because Leader told me to." He turned back around. Her shoulders slumped as a bit of hope started to die within her. "And because I promised your mother that I would."

She turned to him. "You…promised?"

He turned to her while the noodles heated up. "Yeah. You look a lot like her. You have your father's eyes but you look a lot like her. She made me promise I would watch out for you…so she could feel better knowing that you were with us. I never break a promise, yeah."

Mitsukai looked at him smiling. Her body moved on its own and she found herself hugging him tightly. He was surprised by this yet gently patted her on the top of her head. _'I'll always look out for my Little One.'_

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The next day Mitsukai woke early and got dressed, putting on her old uniform and putting the ribbon and tag back on her hair. She finally realized that she had spent the previous day awake and without wearing her mask however tugged it on as well. The door opened and she turned expecting to see Deidara's smile but was very disappointed.

"Good. You're up. Let's go." Kisame grunted leaving the door open for her to follow. He led her to the living room where Zetsu, Itachi, and a disgruntled Deidara waited.

"Leader's sending you three on a bounty collecting mission. Give her a hat and cloak. "Zetsu passed Itachi a picture of the target and Itachi eyed it for a second then passed it to Kisame who did the same then tucked it away inside his cloak. Deidara approached Mitsukai with a small black cloak about her size with red clouds in one hand and a conical hat in the other that chimed with his movements.

"I found a uniform in your size. It's on the dresser in your room, yeah."

Itachi turned to her. "Go change. You can't wear that anymore."

Mitsukai eyed the three. "I'm not wearing that! I don't want to be a part of this stupid organization. You can't make me wear that."

The four of them didn't respond and Mitsukai suddenly felt a presence behind her. She turned slightly as hands grabbed her shoulders firmly and a familiar voice whispered into her ear. "If you don't put your uniform the way _I_ want you to, I'll do it myself…_and you'll never get it off._"

Her eyes widened with fear and Deidara handed her the cloak and hat. She turned and moved around the leader cautiously then ran to her room and slammed the door. She removed her clothes except her mask and put on the uniform Deidara had put on her dresser. It was different than the one she had been wearing for the past few days. The top seemed like nothing but a black sports bra and fishnet used to make a "t-shirt". She also had another pair of black spandex shorts and a black skirt to go over it that had splits up the sides to allow movement. There were also shoes like the ones her teammates wore except in black as well. She tugged the cloak on over her shoulders and picked up her hat.

"Much better." Pein muttered and went back up the stairs to his room.

Deidara nodded. "I think it's cute."

Itachi didn't comment but Kisame frowned. "Button up your cloak. It's cold outside."

Zetsu paused. "Deidara, when did you find the time to paint her nails?"

Mitsukai looked at her nails. She hadn't even realized that they were now purple. He shrugged. "Right after the meeting. She doesn't toss and turn that much when she's sleep."

Itachi had gotten tired of waiting. "Let's go." He moved towards the blank stone wall that was the entrance of their headquarters.

Kisame shot Mitsukai an evil glare and she buttoned a few buttons on her cloak to appease him. She followed him over to Itachi and glanced over her shoulder at Deidara. Before she could open her mouth to say goodbye, Itachi grabbed her wrist and the three of them teleported to the other side of the rock. Her breath made clouds in the cold air as she stared at the rock behind them. Itachi pulled his hat down on his head tighter and Kisame did the same, both moving forward. Mitsukai stared at her hat then did she same, following the pair as tears lined her eyes.


	7. Inner Demons

Chapter Seven: Inner Demons

A year ago Mitsukai would have been used the silence. Now it was driving her crazy. She followed the two men in front of her trying to come up with some sort of plan to escape. She looked around at the forest that surrounded them. Speed was her only and best defense. She wasn't any good at taijutsu so trying fighting them would probably only make them laugh at her. Her ninjutsu wasn't good enough to fend them off, only bore them since they had seen her best jutsu already…and had dispelled it with one swipe of that stupid sword. However, with Itachi's exceptional Sharingan, even her speed would be no use to her. A familiar heavy feeling weighed on her chest as she felt hopeless. Her cloak swished and made a sound of waterproof material rubbing against itself. The small bells on her hat swayed in the cold air, chiming gently with her movements.

Kisame looked back at the girl and smirked. "Hey, kid. Are you hungry?"

Mitsukai snapped out of her daydream and looked up. "It's time to eat already?"

"Yeah. It's lunchtime now."

Mitsukai's lips twitched as she fought a smile. "Sure."

They all stopped and prepared to make camp. Itachi watched Mitsukai closely as she moved and noticed something he found to be odd. Mitsukai was going out of her way to keep from standing in front of Itachi directly and she only spoke to Kisame. _'Is she avoiding me?'_ This amused Itachi. It wasn't often that something came along and was actually interesting enough to cause him to think like this. She helped Kisame gather wood and even watched him cook. Not once did her head turn in Itachi's direction. Not once did she speak his name. Not once did she even steal a glance. Itachi had to check his anger. For a second he felt as if she was mocking him by doing this. He could see his own mother doing the same thing, focusing all of her attention to his younger brother…and ignoring him.

Mitsukai could feel those red eyes focused on her and did her best not to care. It was unnerving to have someone stare so intensely, as if he would attack her at any moment. When Kisame told her that the food wood be done soon, she moved over to a tree and sat down. She drew her knees up to her chest and pulled her hat down over her eyes to keep Itachi from looking at her directly. How could he do something so horrible and then treat someone who once adored him the way he had?

"I don't care if you don't like me." Itachi's voice was sharp, and he sounded slightly pissed.

If there was one thing Mitsukai had picked up while being with Team 7, it was attitude. "That's good to know. I'll remember that for future reference." She mumbled closing her eyes.

Itachi could hear the sarcasm in her voice and it grated him. Someone as inferior as she actually had the nerve to speak to him as if he were some common person? He took a silent deep breath and calmed himself. Just because she was something new for him to experiment with didn't mean he would lose his calm. However, it was hard to not want to toy with her as he had his first few days with Kisame. Being someone with his intellect, he needed something to keep him entertained and nothing was more entertaining than the human mind. It was why he chose to excel in genjutsu. To Kisame's relief, Itachi allowed the comment to pass. Kisame didn't feel like playing nurse should Itachi decide to discipline the girl.

Itachi noticed that the ramen was done and moved to take it off the fire. Kisame pulled out bowls and chopsticks allowing Itachi to distribute the food. Itachi stood over Mitsukai and held out a bowl to her. "Here."

"I'm not hungry." She didn't even bother to look up at him. If she had to take food from a monster then she refused to eat.

Kisame frowned. "But you just agreed that you wanted to eat."

She looked up. "Lost my appetite."

Itachi just stared blankly at her. "Fine." He set the bowl down beside her.

Mitsukai couldn't stop the question from coming out. "Why did you do it?"

Itachi paused and looked at her. "You want to know why I killed them."

Mitsukai nodded, anger flashing in her eyes. Itachi inwardly smiled and turned away, opting to dismiss her question. Seeing him show no emotion at all, not even a flicker of acknowledgement, only sent her over the edge…just like Itachi had intended for her to do. She stood suddenly, "You're a monster! I hope Sasuke does kill you."

Itachi paused and closed his eyes. _'He did say he was going to do that, didn't he?'_

"How can someone kill their own family?" She stared at the back of the older Uchiha, waiting patiently for an answer.

Itachi's head turned slightly. "Who are you to pass judgment? Didn't you do the same thing?"

Mitsukai nearly doubled over in pain from the question; it felt as if he had hit her without even touching her. She fought tears of rage as she did her best to steady her voice. "I did _not_ do it on purpose. That was an accident. You _sought out_ your own family as if they were another mission and _murdered_ them all in cold blood. And just to prove how sick you really are, you torture your brother with the images of what you did as if you're proud of what you did. Don't _ever_ compare me to you."

A blur of black and red was the only thing she saw before feeling intense pain in the back of her head. She tried to breathe in only to realize that she was pinned to the tree by an icy hand that held her throat in a vice-like grip, threatening to end her life. Itachi stared her as his blood red eyes bore into hers, yet he didn't seem angry with her. "You are not better than me in any way. Do not belittle me; do not think that you are superior to me just because of _morals_." His grip tightened at a snail's pace with every word. "You're a criminal just like the rest of us. You killed during your training and you murdered your own parents. It doesn't matter how you did so; the fact is that you did. Should they ever find out the things that you've done, they won't be so willing to welcome you back. They'll turn their backs on you and see you for what you really are…_a criminal._"

He let go and she fell to her knees coughing violently. He watched her struggle to breathe normally. He could feel the presence within him stir slightly as he tried to check his temper. "Everyone has their own inner demon. No one is exempt or immune. You shouldn't judge others by your own preconceptions or by their appearances."

Mitsukai listened to his words and remembered something from Sasuke's memory. _'He said the same thing to those men…'_

Itachi frowned slightly. Even four years later, he was still angry with himself for allowing his so-called "family" to gain that kind of power over his life. That had been his first mistake. He should have stood up sooner. "Even I'm human…and I also make mistakes." His expression returned to the indifferent one he chose to use.

Mitsukai brought her eyes up to his. _'Does he regret what he did…?'_ Deciding that it would be better to give him the benefit of a doubt, she chose to believe that he did. She sat back slowly and picked up the bowl he'd brought for her. If she simply obeyed, then maybe it wouldn't be as hard to deal with being with them.

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Naruto and the rest of the team returned to the Hidden Leaf within nine days after their departure. They were supposed to go straight to the Hokage and give a report but, of course, Naruto hardly ever followed protocol.

"I'm going to go tell Mitsy that we're back and meet you guys in Granny Tsunade's office, okay?" Naruto shouted and took off running.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled after the blonde then folded her arms angrily. "Why must he be so annoying?"

Naruto made it to Mitsukai's apartment building within two minutes. When he made it to her door…words can't express how he felt. Yellow police tape marked off entrance but Naruto cut it away with a kunai and entered anyway. The door had clearly been kicked in and laid on the floor inside of the apartment. He had never seen Mitsukai's apartment even slightly messy but now things were thrown everywhere. Her bed wasn't even made. A chill ran up his spine and he knew something bad had happened. He ran back out and charged off to the Hokage's office.

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When Naruto rushed in, everyone was already there with solemn looks on their faces.

"Mit—"

"We know Naruto." Sasuke cut him off putting his hands into his pockets.

"Then we gotta do something! We have to assemble a search and rescue team and go find her!"

"Naruto." Naruto turned to the blonde woman seated behind her desk. "Calm down. As much as I would like to send you to bring her back, I already had another mission assigned for you three to complete."

"I'm not going! I have to go find Mitsy!"

"Naruto. No." Tsunade said firmly. Naruto gritted his teeth and his fists balled up tightly at his sides. "I'm assigning Kakashi the task of bringing her back."

"What?" They all looked up at the Jounin.

"Your next mission will not require him to be with you."

Sasuke sighed, "The last one didn't require him to be with us."

She narrowed her eyes, "It's a simple mission for an old friend of mine." She looked over at Kakashi. "Do you have an idea as to how you will find her?"

Kakashi nodded, "One that will at least point me in the right direction." With that, he did a few hand signs and a little dog appeared at his feet.

"Pakkun!" Naruto exclaimed. It hadn't been too long ago since he had last seen the nindog.

"Kakashi. It rained the morning she went missing. If there's a scent to trace, I doubt it will easy for him to pick up." Tsunade leaned forward. Naruto's shoulders slumped.

"Then how will he find her?"

"Due to the circumstances of this situation and the fact that the missing person in question is a Jinchuuriki from our village, I've called two special ninjas to aide you in your retrieval mission."

There was a strong gust of wind as one of the windows slide open and two ninja appeared, both crouched down. One was clearly an ANBU member wearing his mask and uniform, the other wore a solid black cloak and a white porcelain mask with a red "X" on the left cheek.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke looked at them with interest as Tsunade told them to stand. Kakashi looked at them and smiled behind his mask. "Old comrades?"

"Yes." Tsunade nodded. She returned her attention to the three Genin. "You three. An old friend of mine in the Land of Tea needs our assistance. You are to go there and find out what he needs you to do and do it. When your mission is completed, you may return. You are dismissed. Leave as soon as possible."

Although his two teammates nodded and turned to leave, Naruto was rooted to the floor. "I want to go with Kakashi-sensei. I have to make sure they bring Mitsy home."

The ANBU member rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Naruto." Naruto looked up at the man questioningly and the man took his mask off.

"Miko?" Naruto gasped.

Miko nodded. "Yes. You have my word that she will be here when you return."

Kakashi nodded as well. "He never breaks a promise. You have mine as well."

The third member only nodded. Naruto stared at the figure for a moment then asked. "What kind of ninja are you?"

"A hunter Nin. I specifically asked for one and I was sent one who specializes in tracking and capturing a target alive?" Tsunade looked at the person in question. The figure nodded and pushed back the hood. Shoulder length auburn hair with a slight red tint framed the mask. "We need to discuss this mission in detail. Naruto, go home and rest. Tomorrow your team will leave."

Against his wishes, he turned and left with his other two teammates closing the door behind him. When Tsunade was sure that they were alone, she continued to speak. "You all know each other, don't you?"

The three nodded.

"Good. This will make this mission easier for you." She looked at Miko. "You can continue to use your codename." She looked at the hunter Nin. "Take off your mask and I will give you a codename as well."

The ninja did as told and slipped the mask off revealing emotionless black eyes accompanied with a woman's face. The expression was just as emotionless as her eyes.

Tsunade tapped her chin in thought then looked directly at the woman. "Your codename will be Meisuta."

Meisuta only nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now with that out of the way, we must discuss the mission. Mitsukai is a student of Kakashi's, a very dear friend to Naruto, and a Jinchuuriki. It the information Miko gave me is correct, the Akatsuki have had her with them for nearly eight days now. I've consulted with Jiraya on this and it is his belief that they do not wish to extract the demon within her…for now. She was trained by them exclusively and therefore is more of a possession to them, like a weapon. I am not sure if they will use a jutsu to control her or allow her to act on her own. I don't know if she will be willing to come back but that will not matter to you. Understood? No matter what she may say to you, your mission is to bring her back here _alive_ by any means necessary, even if it includes killing an Akatsuki member."

The three nodded at the same time.

"I prefer that you leave as soon as possible. You may go." She sat back and waved them away. With a poof of smoke, the three disappeared. Tsunade stared at her closed door with her eyes closed, wondering if they would succeed.

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That next morning, Kakashi, Miko, and Meisuta stood outside of the village gates, surveying the road ahead of them. What the Hokage had said was true. Although Kakashi had given Pakkun and the other nindogs Mitsukai's scent from a cloth face mask she had left behind amongst others, it was hard to pick up. But not so hard that they didn't at all. One of the other dogs picked up a faint trace of her as the wind blew gently, bringing the scent to them from the northwest.

"Let's go then." Kakashi readjusted his headband and crouched down preparing to jump into a tree and begin running.

"Wait." Meisuta spoke. She licked her thumb and stuck it in the air, testing the air. "Depending on which way they are traveling with her, if we are not careful in our approach they could smell us coming." She looked down at the remaining dogs that had come back. "These dogs could give us away with their Konoha symbols."

Miko nodded, "You should send one unmarked one for us to follow."

Kakashi nodded once and bent down to one of the smaller, yet smartest, dogs. "Pakkun."

"Yes, Kakashi?" The dog stepped forward. Kakashi removed the dog's headband and cape.

"I'm leaving the tracking to you. You go ahead and find her. Once you do, stay with her by any means necessary. Understood?" Kakashi stood

"Yes!" The dog nodded and promptly disappeared.

Kakashi looked sideways at his team. "We'll give him some time to get ahead of us then we'll follow." They nodded and waited. "Alright then. Shall we go now?"

They nodded again and this time they all disappeared.

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Mitsukai trailed along behind her captors noting the scenery around them. Somehow, it all looked familiar. "Where are we now?"

Kisame cast a sideways glance to Itachi who didn't even blink. He didn't get the indication that he couldn't tell her so he spoke. "In Earth country."

"And where are we going?"

"Lightning Country."

She frowned. "If we're going to Lightening country then why not just cut straight through Grass, Fire, and Rice Field Country? Going around will take us longer."

Before Kisame could open his mouth, Itachi held up his hand to silence him. "Because going through Fire Country is too risky for us with the Hidden Leaf looking for you." Itachi answered. "We went through Grass and will soon be in Waterfall Country. All we're doing is avoiding Fire Country."

"You say that as if every ninja in Konoha is looking for me. You know that's not the case."

"I prefer to be extra cautious than to underestimate an opponent. You should know. I told you that."

Mitsukai nodded. She did know and remembered him telling her that. Kisame chuckled. "I see why Leader couldn't pair you with Sasori, Itachi. He hates waiting while you incorporate patience into everything that you do."

Itachi cuts his eyes at Kisame. "That's enough talking."

Kisame didn't say anything else. Another hour of silence went by before Itachi suddenly stopped. Mitsukai, who had been too busy looking at the trees around them, nearly collided into the Uchiha but Kisame held out his arm and stopped her. Her face was inches from Itachi's back and she immediately stumbled backwards. Itachi looked around. "We have time to spare. Let's slow our pace and conserve energy."

The other two nodded. Kisame knew what this meant for him and unsheathed his sword. Mitsukai was looking at what she thought to be a rabbit when she heard a load scrape that literally made her skin crawl. She turned to see Kisame slicing away at a tree, practicing swinging. Her eyes widened with anger. He lifted his sword and attacked another tree. She stopped walking altogether. He raised his sword to hit another tree. Itachi felt an increase of chakra in her and turned slightly to observe her. Kisame brought the sword down forcibly only to have it knocked out of his hand. Mitsukai hugged the tree tightly with her eyes clamped shut and Itachi stood in between them, eyes on his partner.

"Watch what you're doing." Itachi murmured then looked back at the girl. Mitsukai opened her eye and looked around then stood up straight.

"What is wrong with you?! You can't just go around slicing up the environment, Fish Head!" Mitsukai ranted, exhibiting an affect of having been around Naruto a bit too long.

Kisame's eye twitched slightly. "What…did she…call me?"

Mitsukai turned to the tree. She murmured an apology to the tree then tried to use medical jutsu to heal the cuts. "…stupid fish head…"

Kisame and Itachi stared at the girl in utter shock and silent wonder respectively. She nursed the two wounded trees back to health then rounded on Kisame and pointed her finger angrily at him. "You have absolutely _no_ respect for you environment! You stupid fish head!"

Kisame picked up his sword and stepped forward to slice the girl's face off but a look from Itachi stopped him. Mitsukai examined the trees as if she were a nurse. Kisame slowly leaned closer to Itachi and whispered, "Is she a tree hugger or something?"

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The sun had disappeared from the sky and the stars took its place. As they moved along, the only sounds they heard where the insects chirping, the fallen leaves crunching under their feet, and the gentle chimes of their hats. Mitsukai eyelids became heavier with every ten steps and soon it was hard to keep up with the other two. "We should stop. I'm getting sleepy."

Itachi ignored her and kept going; Kisame obeyed the silent order. She frowned when she saw that they weren't going to stop yet still followed. As an hour passed by slowly, her steps became even slower and her eyes closed completely, moving out of instinct. Itachi lead the trio feeling his own body movements become slower as well. It was time to stop and get some sleep. He looked sideways at Kisame who seemed to also be in need of rest as well when a sudden loud crunch of leaves sounded from behind them. They turned around quickly with their weapons drawn only to find Mitsukai lying on the ground sleeping soundly. Kisame groaned and covered his face.

"Tell me she isn't sleep."

Itachi approached the girl and bent down, studying her. Her expression was peaceful and her breathing was even and easy. If she had been hit with a paralyzing senbon needle, he expected her muscles to twitch occasionally due to the disruption of the nervous system. She was still with the exception of the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. He closed his eyes. "Then we shall stop and rest."

Kisame was glad to hear this. He sat down slowly and leaned back against a tree. "Shall we take shifts?"

Itachi opened his eyes and looked down at Mitsukai. Circumstances were different from the first time they had traveled with her. Then she had been sick and didn't have the energy to try to escape. Now she was well and her only issue was that she was tired. Unless they wanted to wake up and find her gone, they didn't have much of a choice. "Yes. Let's eat first then you can take the first shift."

Kisame nodded and pulled out some ingredients. "I'll need some firewood."

Itachi only stood and walked away from Mitsukai, disappearing into the darkness. Mitsukai muttered in her sleep and rolled over onto her side, curling up into the fetal position while using her right arm as a pillow.

Itachi returned with a few thick branches and laid them on the ground. He did a few quick hand signs and blew fire over the pile, thus starting a fire. The heat blazed and instantly warmed them all, even causing Mitsukai to wake slowly from her slumber. She sat up and rubbed her eyes and looked at the other two. Kisame began to set up the pot to boil the water for the rice while Itachi pulled his cloak sleeves back and removed the weapon holsters attached to his arms, placing them neatly on the ground. Kisame glanced at Mitsukai.

"Why did you make such a fuss about the trees earlier?" He sat back.

"I've never liked harming someone or something that couldn't fight back. I don't like fighting people who I know are weaker than me or I have more than one advantage over. It is immoral to be cruel and wicked." She yawned and stretched. Itachi chose not to comment. The food was distributed and they ate. Once again, Kisame didn't see Itachi actually eat his food but his bowl was returned to him empty. Mitsukai inched closer to the fire and laid down. Itachi sat back and closed his eyes. Mitsukai pulled her cloak on her and curled up once again, surprised that it was big enough to be a make-shift sleeping bag for her. Her eyes became heavy and she drifted off to sleep again.

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The sun rose slowly, spreading its warmth. Itachi watched Mitsukai twitch as the sun reached her face then open her eyes. Even with the sun illuminating them, her eyes were still that peculiar shade of midnight blue. She attempted to roll over away from the sun but when she did part of her cloak fell off of her. The cool morning air hit her and she gave up. She sat up with a yawn and looked around. Kisame was still snoring lightly while Itachi stared at her, expression empty. She returned the stare, intending to annoy him. "Good morning, Itachi."

He didn't reply. He stood and grabbed his hat. "Kisame."

Kisame stirred slightly then woke up. "Time to go?"

Itachi didn't reply. Kisame sighed and stood. Mitsukai did the same, even putting her annoying hat on her head. The following six days followed this same routine. They would walk until someone got hungry then they would stop to eat. At night they would walk until Mitsukai literally fell over like she had the first time then would make camp for the night, Itachi and Kisame sleeping in shifts. Occasionally they would take a break just to rest and Kisame would make Mitsukai spar with him just to keep his joints moving. She would often stare at him for several minutes to see if he would change his mind then groan quietly. Kisame was a very sore loser. She wouldn't try to actually _fight_ him; she only dodged his attacks using her speed. If he got frustrated he would simply use his sword to practically immobilize her and she would then give up. Kisame often lectured her for giving up when she could simply learn to master a form of jutsu like taijutsu or even ninjutsu. Itachi would listen to their conversations and wonder why his former student never tried any genjutsu attacks. There was a time when she was able to trap five opponents in a Hell Viewing genjutsu and literally scare them all to death. He concluded after watching them "spar" for the third time that she had gotten weak while away from them and was dangerously close to being useless to them as an effective weapon.

On day nine of their journey, their mission officially started. They had entered Lightning Country the day before and were now searching for the target. After Itachi got some information from several different sources, they were able to determine that their target, Marumo, would be in the next village. However, they lucked up when Itachi spotted the man traveling down the road ahead of them. The man sensed their presence and whirled around.

"Are you bounty hunters?" He yelled. Kisame took a step forward.

"I'll handle this one." He put a hand on the handle of his blade, but Itachi put an arm out in front of his comrade.

Mitsukai looked at the pair then felt the color drain from her face as they both turned to her. Itachi's command was clear. She was to go forward. She wanted to protest but before she could open her mouth, Itachi shoved her out in front of them. She took off her hat and unbuttoned her cloak. There would be no moving with that damned thing on.

The man looked down at her with discontent. "They send a kid to face me? And a _girl_ at that."

Mitsukai scoffed, "Oh, shut up. I don't want to do this anymore than you want to fight a girl."

Behind his back, he pulled out a ten inch knife. "Who said I didn't want to fight you?" He charged at her and swung. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was holding and ducked. Her long hair flew up in the air due to her sudden drop and his blade sliced it off. She fought the urge to scream when sliver hair dropped to the ground around them. She did a quick backwards flip away from the man to examine the damage. Her hair was now shoulder length as compared to being down to her knees, and she looked at Marumo scornfully. Itachi was secretly pleased. If someone else hadn't done it, he was sure to do it himself. She didn't expect to be able to battle effectively with such a major disadvantage like that, did she?

"Aw, did I cut your hair? I'm so sorry, pretty little girl." He mocked her with a baby voice. She balled her fists up and stepped forward, eyes flickering gold.

"Don't mock me." She whispered. He laughed and charged again. His punches came fast yet she dodged them. He clearly wasn't trained to be a shinobi and that gave her one advantage. He managed to trip her and she fell onto her back. He drove his knife downwards. Her survival instincts kicked in and Houkou temporarily took over. Her hands moved quickly to form hand seals as chakra was channeled into her palms. His weapon was inches from her face. "Tsunami Wind!" She moved her hands and created a strong gust of wind that sent the man flying away from her.

Kisame's eyes widened with considerable interest. "How come she never used ninjutsu when sparring with me?"

Itachi glanced at the taller man out of the corner of his eye. "It was never a life or death situation. She knows you won't harm her."

Mitsukai stood quickly and took her fighting stance. Marumo landed on his back but still managed to recover quickly. He charged back at her and started swinging again. She kept dodging his attacks, waiting for his attacks to slow as he tired himself out. Marumo realized that with the way the battle was currently going, he was sure to lose. Instead of aiming to kill her, he quickly jabbed the knife while simultaneously tripping her. A sharp pain tore through the nerves in her leg as she landed on her back again and she looked down at the knife that had been lodged into her left thigh. Dark red blood oozed from the wound as she tried to stand. Marumo chuckled and stepped towards her.

Kisame took step forward preparing to intervene but Itachi stopped him with a look. "She can handle this." Although Itachi told Kisame this, he didn't believe it himself. By tapping his elbow to his side, the kunai holster on his arm shot a kunai into his hand. If they needed to step in, they would.

Mitsukai stared at her own blood in awe. Itachi had been wrong. Being defensive and waiting for an opponent to wear themselves out did not always work. Her blood dripping onto the dirt proved that. She grabbed the handle and, with one tug, yanked it out. She screamed out briefly from the pain then stood. Blood poured freely from the wound but she managed to remain calm. She was angry that somehow this jerk had managed to seriously hurt her. She was even angrier that Itachi and Kisame were watching as if this were some show on TV.

She charged at her opponent and flipped over him, catching him off guard with her ability to still move so quickly. With him still turned away from her, she landed a well aimed kick to his back and he fell flat on his face, skidding across the dirt ground. The chill wind blew gently, causing her cloak to swish about her and her hair move in the wind. He twitched and started to stand. She narrowed her eyes as they flickered gold again.

_'Let me handle him, Mitsukai…'_

She shook her head slowly. No. This was _her_ fight. She moved so quickly that to him it seemed like she merely appeared in front of him. Before he could react, her knee connected with his jaw and she felt it break. The man fell on his back, whimpering slightly in pain. She moved closer and stood over him, looking down at him with an angry expression that mirrored the one Sasuke had given her when he had the urge to kill his own teammate. She squatted down and hissed slightly at the pain in her thigh. Her hand enclosed on his throat and she lifted him up enough to look him squarely in the eyes.

The man's scream echoed for miles around.

Mitsukai dropped the man who was now drooling all over himself, eyes rolled back into his head. She stood and turned back to Itachi and Kisame. Kisame was speechless. Itachi was inwardly proud. She began to tremble slightly when she realized what she had done. It wasn't murder. No. Yet, it felt like it.

Kisame stepped forward and used his sword to pick the man up and carry him. Itachi stepped forward and began walking with Kisame trailing behind him. Mitsukai looked down at her leg. The blood had coagulated and now had a thick, dark color to it. Now that her adrenaline was starting to leave her system, the pain from the wound was coming back in dull waves. She inhaled and followed them.

As she limped slightly behind them, a thought struck her. Kisame was occupied with carrying the man on his sword. Sure Itachi could see her, but if they were unable to stop her…It took less than a second to react. She concentrated as much chakra into the soles of her feet and shot off. Itachi felt the burst of chakra and turned in her direction, blood red eyes watching the blur get away. Kisame shifted ready to react but Itachi held up his hand.

Mitsukai knew that she had made the wrong choice as soon as she started running. The muscle in her thigh was too sore to function the way she needed it to. Pain seemed to set her leg on fire and the sudden increase in her heart rate ordered her heart to pump faster resulting in the wound bleeding more freely. Trees that stood on the side of the road zoomed by as she ran, pushing herself to keep going. Itachi suddenly appeared in front of her and it took too long for her mind to order her body to stop. His hand landed on her shoulder to bend her over slightly as he drove his knee up forcefully into her stomach. The blow was strong enough to bruise a rib and, as a result, she coughed up the blood that leaked into her left lung. She fell forward on her knees cradling her stomach as pain pulsed through her in sharp intense stabs.

"Do that again and it'll be the last time you are able to breathe on your own." Itachi whispered. His tone chilled her and she nodded weakly.

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Several days after collecting the bounty, they stopped to rest in Bear Country which rested in between Rice Field Country and Lightening Country. Mitsukai leaned up against a tree with her eyes closed. Her injuries had started healing slowly on their own without her needing to use medical jutsu. Even her rib had stopped hurting. She looked over at Itachi and Kisame who were currently seated Indian style side by side. Their eyes were closed and each man held their hands to make the tiger sign. She assumed that they were meditating and left them alone, seizing the opportunity to get some rest.

The minute Mitsukai's head fell to the side in a deep sleep, both Itachi and Kisame's rings glowed as they channeled their chakra into them. There was a quiet buzzing noise and their leader appeared in holographic form.

"Did you succeed?" He looked at them expectantly. Kisame nodded and held up the envelope with their reward. Pein nodded. "Good. Your next mission will not have a monetary reward. One of our spies has decided to turn against us. Unfortunately, he knows too much. We cannot risk him or his family revealing anything about us to anyone. They must be eliminated."

Both men nodded in acknowledgment.

"His name is Hiroshi. They live in a village not too far from the southern most border between Fire and Rice Field country. Zetsu tells me that the village itself rests on the shore nearest the end of the border." The projection faded and Kisame waited for Itachi to react. Itachi's dark eyes seemingly stared at nothing for the longest until he closed his eyes and nodded. He stood and adjusted his cloak. Kisame stood and went over to Mitsukai, tapping her skinny leg with his huge foot.

"Hey kid."

Mitsukai's eyes snapped open and her hand went to her hip, snatching out her kunai. "Hm?"

Kisame chuckled. For some reason he found it entertaining that she was so paranoid, even when sleeping. "Get up. We're moving out."

She struggled to stand up, using the tree as a crutch. They all fell into step and continued through the forest. It was necessary to travel within any forests that they encountered as it provided camouflage. This often slowed them down but Itachi was never in a hurry to get anywhere.

Mitsukai had been so tired that before she knew it, it was the middle of the night. The full moon shown down brightly as the three of them stood in front of a cottage that built a ways back hidden among trees, away from the nearby village. Itachi fought to keep in control…but with the full moon up above, he was losing the fight.

"The plan is simple. We will take care of the adults. You take care of the children." Kisame looked at her. Mitsukai unconsciously nodded and pulled out a kunai knife. Kisame lead the group. All the lights were out indicating that its inhabitants were all asleep. Kisame quietly went inside followed by Itachi then Mitsukai. Itachi paused causing the other two to do the same as he scanned the area with his Sharingan. He looked at the masses of chakra and figured out where the adults were and where the children were.

"There are five adults in this direction." He pointed to the left of Kisame who went off silently. Itachi pointed in the opposite direction and Mitsukai went off. She eased into the children's room and froze. Two little girls, about eleven and six, slept soundly in their beds. She dropped her weapon and shook her head. A shrill scream came from the other direction and she nearly fainted. She couldn't do it. As the commotion in the other part of the cottage got louder, she made up her mind. The girls were staring at her in fear. She opened the only window and motioned for the girls to follow her. They refused to move at first but when the sound of men yelling and a woman repeatedly screaming was heard, they nearly dove out of the window.

Mitsukai jumped out after them and held them both by an arm. "Listen to me. Run. Get to the village as fast as you can. Go!" She turned the around and the girls ran off, the youngest sobbing quietly as she followed her sister.

"What are you doing?" Kisame and Itachi appeared behind her. Kisame growled softly watching the girls get away. Mitsukai noted that both Itachi and Kisame were covered him blood. Itachi shifted his gaze from the girls to Mitsukai and she flinched. His eyes were red…but it wasn't the Sharingan she was looking at. The tomoes had spun together and made a spiky wheel.

"Watch her." Itachi's tone was icy…and more malevolent than usual. Itachi shot off after the girls with two kunai drawn, one in each hand.

"No!" Mitsukai screamed and attempted to go after him. There was a swift breeze and she fell to her hands and knees, sapped of her chakra. She looked back at Kisame who leaned forward on his Sharkskin a bit. "Why?"

"You don't understand the state of mind that Itachi's in right now. If you charged off after him, I'd be responsible for him killing you as well." His small black pupils stared off into the darkness of the night. Shrill screams reached her ears. She didn't care what Kisame said. She had to protect the girls. She stood shakily and forced herself to jog towards the screams of terror. She didn't understand what Itachi was going through but if she had to lay her life on the line for them…so be it. She just had to hurry.

There were two soft thuds and the screaming stopped. In fact, she couldn't hear anything at all. She stopped and listened harder. There were soft padded footfalls coming towards her. She looked up and two red eyes seemingly hovered in the air until Itachi stepped out into the moon's light. His expression had changed. '_What __is that…__'_ She leaned forward slightly. He disappeared and reappeared in front of her, blood smeared on his cheek. Her eyes widened with horror. His eyes still held the appearance of the Mangekyou Sharingan…and there was a very faint trace of a smile that curved the edges of his mouth. His hand reached out for her and she tried to step away. His hand closed around her throat and brought her face-to-face with him. Something was very different about Itachi.

"Your emotions…make you weak. They make you hesitate." He lifted his right hand, which held a bloody kunai, and pressed the cold weapon against her cheek. "That's what's wrong with this world. Human emotion…" He gently smeared the warm blood onto her cheek. "…does nothing for you. It holds you back. It keeps you from realizing your potential."

She was frozen in terror. She had been in Itachi's company for over half a month and had never seen him like this. He let her go and walked past her. She stood still, ordering her heart to calm down. One thing was for sure…she had to get away from them.

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The next day Itachi allowed them to rest since their leader hadn't contacted them with any more missions. Mitsukai decided to take a bath in a nearby lake. As soon as she got out and changed clothes, she noticed a small brown dog sniffing around in the bushes. "Ooh, a puppy!"

The dog looked up and appeared to be happy to see her, running towards her and yipping. She knelt down and petted it. "Hello there."

The dog sniffed her hand and yipped again. _'It's her! It seems she doesn't know who I am. That's good.'_

She continued to pet and rub the dog.

"Let's go." She turned to see Itachi standing there with Kisame. She nodded and stood up. Both men's eyes fell on the dog beside her. Mitsukai noticed that the dog tensed up and actually glared at the two. She really liked the dog now.

"That mutt isn't coming with us." Kisame complained and unsheathed his sword. "Shall I do the honors?"

Itachi didn't say a word. _'That dog looks familiar…and it has more chakra than necessary for an ordinary dog.'_ Kisame stepped forward and prepared to swing but Mitsukai stepped in front of it.

"No! He's with me. Can't he at least stay until we have to go on our next mission? Then we can take him to the nearest village and let him go." She stooped down and picked him up. "I won't even name him."

Kisame turned to Itachi. "No."

Itachi didn't respond to either, personally not in the mood to play referee. Kisame groaned and followed his partner. Mitsukai smiled behind her mask and trotted along behind him, truly happy for the first time in days.

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**AN:** It was hard to write this chapter simply because I have so many other ideas bouncing around in my head. Luckily I kept flushing my toilet and inspiration came. Yay me! I hope it was a satisfying chapter for you. 


	8. A Subtle Change

Author's Note: Gaaaaah! I had finished this chapter before Christmas and dropped my laptop on Christmas Day. Go figure. Of course this resulted in everything on my laptop being erased and my having to start from scratch. So….I had to rewrite this whole chapter. As if it weren't hard enough to write the first time…I hope you like.

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Chapter Eight: A Subtle Change

Even though the autumn air was crisp, neither Mitsukai nor her new companion seemed to care. The small dog yipped and ran around her playfully causing her to smile and often join in. Itachi learned very quickly that the mutt was the only thing keeping her in line and as long as they didn't try to harm it, they would receive no trouble from her. Having come to this conclusion, Itachi simply ignored the two. Kisame, on the other hand, was near his boiling point. Sure it was nice to have someone around to entertain him and it was often amusing to watch her and the dog play their games like Hide and Go Seek…but was it necessary to do so all the time? At the moment he wanted nothing more than to have peace and quiet. That mutt had been barking and yipping since the moment the girl had woken up…nearly seven hours ago. What was worse was that Itachi didn't seem the least bit bothered or annoyed by this.

In the next village, they stopped to buy more supplies like food and personal hygiene things. After spending nearly two hours there, Itachi signaled that it was time to go. The four of them traveled to the outskirts of the village. Itachi suddenly stopped and looked back at Mitsukai and the dog. "You said that you would leave him."

Mitsukai looked down at the dog and it looked up at her, as if expecting an answer from her. "Why can't he stay? He's very smart. Maybe I could train him to be a nindog?"

"No." Itachi replied. Kisame grunted and continued onward into the forest ahead of them.

"But...Itachi—"

"Either leave him here or I'll allow Kisame to use him in our next meal." Itachi spoke softly yet gave her a hard glare. She swallowed and nodded; Itachi continued forward into the forest as well.

Mitsukai smiled sadly and knelt down beside her friend. "Then I guess this is it. I don't want to subject you to any torture those two can come up with…so stay here, okay?"

The dog's eyes mirrored her own feelings.

"Be a good dog." She petted him gently and stood. With one final glance, she turned and followed the pair.

As soon as she had completely disappeared from sight, the dog sat down and tilted his head to the side. "It's hard to tell but I'm sure she doesn't want to be with them. She needs someone to give her hope that she won't be with them much longer."

The dog turned and looked over his shoulder, sniffing the air then redirected his attention to Mitsukai's direction. "It'll be a while before Kakashi and the others catch up. I have no choice but to stay with her."

With that, the dog bounded after his friend.

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"I'm only pointing out that there are other things to eat beside ramen and fried rice." Mitsukai shrugged.

Kisame looked at her. "But they are the most simple and quickest things to cook!"

"Does that necessarily mean that's all we can eat?"

"It's all we can _afford_ to eat if we want to keep to our schedule and complete our missions." Itachi interjected causing the bickering pair to stop and look at him. "But I must say, this has to be one your more mature arguments."

Kisame frowned at the insult while Mitsukai allowed her mouth to hang open in shock.

"Well no one asked you to comment, Mr. Sunshine." Mitsukai countered and folded her arms.

"I had no choice. An argument about pasta was just too tempting to resist…even if it doesn't require a fourth of a brain to participate in."

Again the other two stared at the raven haired man in shock.

"You know, Itachi, you're talking a bit more than I'm used to." Kisame complained.

Itachi didn't bother to look at them. He couldn't help it. Knowing that Mitsukai had a strong connection to his little brother was often overwhelming to the spirit inside of him. _'So close…yet so far from our goal…'_ At times, Itachi only said what came to mind instead of bottling it in. As a result, he spoke more and actually held a few conversations a day with his teammates….even if they were only arguments.

Mitsukai didn't have a comeback for this. They continued to walk along in silence. Mitsukai wondered a about her team. She wondered if they knew that she had been kidnapped…of if they followed Sasuke's belief and maybe thought she left willingly. Her shoulders slumped. Maybe they weren't even worried about her…and she was stuck with the Akatsuki.

A small white bird flew directly in front of her face, going from her right to her left. She paused as the bird then began to fly in circles around her head…then another joined it…and another…and another…

"What in the world…?" Kisame watched as the birds came from nowhere and swarmed around the silver-haired girl. A few landed on her in various places like on the top of her head, shoulders, and in her outstretched hand. Kisame took a step forward and some of the birds moved away from Mitsukai over to him and began to fly around him. He was swatting at them out of annoyance when a voice stopped him.

"If you cause two of them to touch, Kisame, you'll be one angry fish, yeah."

Mitsukai looked up from the bird she had petting to look around. "What?"

There was a rustling sound and Deidara dropped down from a branch overhead. He stood up slowly and smiled. "Hello."

Joy washed over her and she started to rum towards him but he held up a hand. "What?"

"Those are bombs, yeah." He nodded towards them. Both she and Kisame stopped to stare at the blonde. He only smirked as the birds all soared into the air at one time. "My art is more beautiful."

The birds detonated with a fiery display of dark green and orange, barely visible due to the sun. As the colors disappeared, Mitsukai latched onto Deidara. "Hi, Deidara!"

He only patted the top of her head.

Itachi noticed that she hadn't been this excited since finding the mutt. There was a faint rustling and another huge figure approached. "Deidara, we don't have time to loiter about and socialize. Let's keep moving."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Sasori, you make it seem like we're having tea and cookies."

Itachi watched this eye rolling and muttered, "He acts more and more like a girl every time I see him."

The sudden silence told him that everyone had heard him clearly.

"What…did he…say?" Deidara stared at the Uchiha's back.

"He's been like this ever since this morning." Mitsukai complained, sounding particularly sour.

"Deidara. _Let's go._" Sasori hissed, eyes glaring at the blonde over his black mask.

Mitsukai finally recognized what this meant. "Deidara, can I _please_ go with you?"

His smile dimmed a bit. "No, Little One. You have to stay with your assigned team, yeah."

"Where are you two headed anyway?" Kisame asked. Both Sasori and Deidara stared at him for a minute or two before Sasori spoke gruffly.

"The village hidden in the Waterfall."

Deidara felt Mitsukai's grip on his waist get tighter. A gentle wind blew through the forest, causing the trees to sway around them, and a few green leaves that were turning brown on the edges floated around in the breeze. As much as he wanted her to be around him…he knew better than to go against their leader's direct commands. He gently grabbed her arms and pried her off of him.

"Have you gotten your next mission yet?" He looked at her.

"No." Itachi cut in and grabbed her arm, yanking her away.

"Wait!" She cried out, losing her balance. She felt herself falling backwards but couldn't stop her fall; she closed her eyes and prepared to hit the ground. A swish of waterproof material sounded in her ear and she looked up to see Deidara standing over her, holding her up by her arms.

"Could you be any rougher with her, Itachi?" Deidara scowled up at him.

Itachi didn't answer, instead choosing to walk away. "As Sasori said, you don't have time for this. Move along."

Deidara checked his growing temper and stood up straight, doing the same to Mitsukai before turning away. "You have no balance at all."

"Thank you." She mumbled brushing herself off, cheeks hot with embarrassment. Both she and Deidara silently recalled their first official introduction.

"_Deidara._" Sasori spoke firmly. "If I have to wait another minute—"

"Okay, _danna_." Deidara smiled. He turned back to Mitsukai and took her hat out of her hand. He smoothed down her hair, and then put the hat on her head. "Be good and I'll see you again soon." He touched the tip of her nose with his pinky.

"…Okay." She nodded reluctantly. Despite her being fifteen, she realized that when she was around him she still felt like she was five…and wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with him as she could. He returned his own hat to his head and turned, walking in the direction of the village from which Mitsukai had just come. She stood still, watching him and his partner disappear amongst the trees. She blinked back tears, wiping away those that managed to escape with the back of her hand. She inhaled deeply and turned around.

"Are you coming?" Itachi stared down at her vacantly. She jumped slightly then nodded; she moved around him towards a waiting Kisame. Itachi stood still, staring at Deidara's back.

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They came to a small river running through the forest so Itachi ordered that Mitsukai go take a bath. Once she was doing as instructed, Kisame and Itachi took their places next to each other and channeled their chakra through their rings.

A faint, shadowy figure appeared before the pair. "How is she doing so far?"

There was an uncomfortable smile before Kisame spoke. "How is she doing? How is she doing? Well, let's see…" He started counting off on his blue fingers. "She's saving trees, _still_ refusing to wear her uniform correctly, tried to help two of our targets _escape_ during our last mission, oh and one can't forget to mention…_that damned dog she's dragging around with us!_"

The projection flickered a few times. "Kisame calm down." Itachi spoke softly, seemingly unconcerned with Kisame's annoyances. He took his time speaking. "It would seem that she's holding onto her morals. It isn't as if we can simply make her lose her innocence. She knows right from wrong; she's actively choosing to do what she deems to be 'right'."

Those impassive grey eyes blinked slowly as the figure pondered Itachi's observation. "Then at this point we must make her understand that she must follow all direct orders. She must understand that she has no choice but to do as she is told."

Kisame tilted his head to the side. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"We've been paid to do another assassination. Given the circumstances of this particular hit…it would benefit us if we let her do it. Force her to do this alone….and if she refuses, discipline her."

Kisame didn't respond, only nodding. Itachi averted his eyes from their leader to his nails.

"Don't interfere or help her. Just make sure she gets the job done."

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Mitsukai held her canine companion tightly in her arms as she landed on the roof behind Itachi and Kisame. The cool night air reached her nose as she put the dog down.

"From here you'll go forward on your own." Kisame instructed.

"What?" Mitsukai looked up at him, confused. "You said that this was a group mission."

"We lied." Itachi responded bluntly. "Leader has assigned this mission for _you_."

She froze. The dog looked at the three. _'For her?'_

"You mean…._I'm_ to kill this target?"

"You need to. You haven't helped in any assassination missions so far." Kisame explained, recalling her trying to free their last targets.

Mitsukai stared.

"If you don't do as you're told…" Itachi's dark eyes slowly lit up and the tomoes in his eyes began to spin. "…I'm allowed to discipline you. That would mean 'training' with me." Itachi's tone was cold, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. She swallowed hard and nodded. She didn't know what Itachi was implying by "training", but she did know that Itachi rarely issued direct threats.

"Your target is there in that room." Kisame pointed to a window on the building opposite from the one they were standing on. "In and out. Use whatever method is quickest for you."

Unable to think of anything to say, she nodded curtly, squatted, and with one leap disappeared. Itachi closed his eyes in frustration.

"She didn't even ask for a description."

"There's only one person in the room. It isn't like she'll need one anyway." Kisame pointed out.

"That isn't the point. When she sees who the target is, I'm willing to bet that she'll choke. Had she asked for a description we could have handled that before she took off."

Kisame sighed. "Fine. I'll go a—"

Itachi stepped forward. "No. I'll go. She needs to understand how serious this is. With you she'll try to negotiate her way out of this. With me she knows that I won't listen to anything she says."

Kisame looked down at his dark haired partner. "You make it seem as if I'm soft on her."

There was a long pause. "You are." Itachi didn't look up. "I've noticed the way you look at her. It's the same look that Deidara gives her. You both see her as a human being, someone to protect and care for. That is not our mission. Our mission is to sharpen her skills and protect her as we would any other weapon. Your personal relationships with her may help her adapt to being with us but it also makes her believe that she is allowed an opinion and can ignore our orders. You are her superiors…not her friends. Those bonds that you've created only dull her skills as a kunoichi….." His eyes narrowed. "…but I will sharpen her again."

Before Kisame could respond, the younger male disappeared into thin air.

Mitsukai slipped into the room and crouched down beside a dresser. She peered around it and noticed a body in the bed. She pulled out a kunai knife with a shaky hand and prepared to move.

"You're being difficult. How exactly do you plan to do this?"

She nearly screamed out due to her nerves being so shaky but a cold hand covered her mouth. Through her peripheral vision she could see a pale arm connected to the hand and the black sleeve covering it. _'Itachi.'_

"You have the ability to make this a clean and undetectable murder. Use your Genjutsu skills." He whispered against her ear then let her go. She put away her weapon. The thought of intentionally killing someone was foreign to her. The most she'd ever done was cause severe brain damage…but that left the person alive….but _kill_? She realized that the longer she stayed with the Akatsuki…the more of a criminal she became. If she did this…there was no going back. She would be a cold blooded murderer…

"Go." Itachi order and her feet moved involuntarily. She approached the bed and looked down….at the sweet, innocent face of her target, a six year old little girl. She covered mouth to stifle a gasp and stepped away from the bed as if it were fire.

"No." She shook her head. Not a little girl. The child had to be about Konohamaru's age. Thinking of Konohamaru only made her think of Naruto…Sakura…Sasuke…Kakashi…What would they think of her if they ever found out? They would never forgive her…never accept her among them again…She would alone once more. "I-I can't…"

"If you don't…I promise you that you will not _walk_ out of here." Itachi moved from the shadows and into the moonlight that filtered through the open window. A cool breeze entered the room and the blonde haired girl curled up, rolled over away from them, and whimpered in protest from the sudden temperature drop.

Mitsukai gave Itachi a pleading look. "Please…don't do this. What did she do—"

"She's the daughter of an important political figure here in the Hidden Cloud village. He values her. If she were to pass away, his judgment would then become impaired and in the long run, he'll be a bit easier to manipulate. This assassination is crucial as it affects our own plans. He would make an ideal future ally."

Tears filled her blue eyes. "All of you…are sick! You'd actually kill his own child just to further your own goals?"

Itachi stared at her quietly for several minutes. "If you are trying to invoke my emotions and make me feel guilty and terrible for not caring about what you're about to do….then let me remind you who it was exactly that killed his own family in cold blood and left his little brother to be an orphan. Who it was that feels no remorse for that he's done and even shared the images from that night with previously mentioned orphan. I care nothing about your silly little conscious and morals."

One tear fell. Two…three.

"I've told you that your emotions hold you back. Now we have an example. You belong to us….and you _will_ do as you're instructed to do."

She looked down. "Then punish me. I refuse to harm her."

His charcoal eyes flickered red. "As you wish." A sharp pain shot up her arm and a clear crack was heard. Her throat simultaneously became dry, disabling her from crying out and her left arm dangled at her side. She fell to her knees and looked at him in shock. He hadn't even moved…

"You rely on your healing abilities too much, Mitsukai. You may be able to heal yourself through jutsu and by tapping into the demon's chakra…but _nothing_ will prevent you from experiencing the pain. You think that hurts? I plan to crush _every single bone in your body_ should you dismiss another command from a superior." He took a step towards her and she instinctively scooted away from him. "You're as pathetic as Sasuke….Get up."

She scrambled to her feet and stood, shaking horribly.

"Kill her." Itachi's eyes faded back to black. Tears flowed freely as she slowly moved over to the girl. It took her several minutes to collect herself. She remembered inserting herself into Sasuke's mind…surely the girl was dreaming. Would it be the same concept? Would it work? She lifted her working arm and laid it upon the victim's shoulder and concentrated….

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The wind blew the tears that fell freely from her eyes away as she ran through the forest, determined to get away from them. How could they do such a thing? How could they even ask her to do it for them? She wanted nothing more than death at the moment and if deliberately ignoring Itachi's command to follow them would earn her that…then she would welcome it with open arms. The girl's fearful screams echoed in her head. She couldn't get rid of them. She had ended those terrified screams swiftly, hoping that the girl wouldn't feel any real pain in the blissful dream turned nightmare.

The dog had fallen behind when she used her chakra to escape. Hopefully he had enough sense to go his own way…

A loud crunch was heard and for a moment she thought she had stepped on something until her leg gave way from under her causing her to lose her balance. A familiar drained feeling washed over her and she mentally cursed Kisame and his damned sword. She fell to the leaf covered ground and rolled to a stop. She stared up at the night sky for several seconds before the pain set in. She sat up immediately and grabbed her leg, trying to keep from crying out. After careful examination she determined that it was broken. She tried to quickly repair the minor fracture with both medical jutsu and the demon's chakra.

"You are trying my patience." She heard the cold voice and looked up to see Itachi's eyes flicker with what she assumed to be anger.

"Really? I didn't know…" She shrugged and tried to stand. The second she was successfully on her feet, the back of Itachi's hand connected painfully with her cheek and knocked her into the tree behind her.

"Itachi—"

"Kisame. Stay out of this." Itachi cut him off. Kisame only nodded and walked off, not wanting to witness what would happen next. Mitsukai watched as her only help walk off. Itachi stalked towards her in the exact same way she saw him approach his own brother…before beating him senseless. She tried to scramble away from him but his hand swiftly enclosed around her throat and brought her face inches from his own. "I warned you. Now you'll see how serious I am."

Before she could even blink his fist landed a powerful blow to her stomach causing her to double over and cough up blood. She could feel her ribs crumble under his fist and pain erupted in her chest. She thought he would allow her to fall to the ground but instead his foot appeared suddenly and connected to her jaw, resulting in colorful lights flashing under her eyelids. She went flying in the opposite direction and rolled across the ground.

"I hate repeating myself…I really do." He mumbled and she felt both of her arms snap. She screamed out in pain and began to sob. "That will not help you." He ignored her pleas and walked over to her. With both of her arms broken and a leg barely fixed from a fresh fracture, she was unable to get up on her own. Her bleating whimpers died down as her body went numb from the pain and Itachi continued to stare at her. He agreed that discipline was necessary…but executing it was another matter for him. He saw no use in beating the girl to a pulp. He examined the damage he'd done to her. It would take hours if not a full day for her to fully recover.

"…Itachi?" She could barely talk clearly with her broken jaw.

He didn't respond, instead returning his gaze to her bruised face.

"…Who…is…Sojobo?"

Time seemed to slow down around them. No one knew. No one except Sasuke….and he wouldn't tell. "Where did you hear that name?"

"I…went into Sasuke's mind…the scroll…the Mangekyou…" Before she could finish her statement she passed out. He reached forward for her but stopped when he heard a faint rustling in the distance. Chinese stars appeared in his hand. Someone was coming…

* * *

For all of you that waited patiently for an update I do have a reward for you. Thanks for hanging in there! Check out my homepage for the latest news! 


	9. Never Far Behind

Author's Note: Sorry for the slow updates. Anyhoo…to get a better feel for this chapter listen to Aly and AJ's "Never Far Behind" as you read the entire chapter.

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Chapter Nine: Never Far Behind

Kisame reappeared next to Itachi and looked down at Mitsukai. "Itachi. Did you rea—"

"It was necessary. If her attitude and obedience wouldn't possibly negatively affect our future missions and overall goals…I wouldn't have bothered." He lifted his gaze to the rustling bushes. "Someone is coming."

"Whomever it is, may I kill them?" Kisame grinned wickedly, hand on the handle of his Sharkskin.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. The chakra level for whatever it was wasn't human…but too much for an ordinary animal. The sound of parting bushes came faster…

"Ruff!" Mitsukai's furry friend darted out of the bushes, narrowly missing being sliced by Itachi's Chinese stars.

"Again with the mutt…" Kisame groaned.

The dog went straight to Mitsukai and sniffed her. Kisame watched the dog curiously but something else had Itachi's attention. _'Someone is coming…'_

Pakkun listened intently. _'She has a heartbeat…but it's weak and irregular.'_ They had to get her medical attention, and fast. "Kakashi, over here!"

Kisame just stared. "…Did it just _talk_?"

Itachi returned his attention to Mitsukai and the dog. "I thought so. That is one of Kakashi's summoning dogs. I suspect Kakashi has been tracking us since it found us."

Kakashi suddenly dropped down in front of the Akatsuki members, separating them from Mitsukai and Pakkun. "Sharp as ever, Itachi."

"You again?" Kisame frowned. "This time _I'll_ finish you off." He unsheathed his sword and prepared to move.

Two more figures dropped down, one on each side of Kakashi. Itachi looked at the figures. He didn't recognize the female but knew the male pretty well. "Kuroko."

Five pairs of eyes turned to him. Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. "It's nice to know you remember your former subordinates, Itachi."

Itachi didn't change his facial expression. "How can I forget one of the few Kurama males born with the rare kekkei genkai? Kuroko was one of my best trainees from my days as ANBU captain."

"I hate to interrupt but we have our priorities." The girl said dryly, folding her arms in annoyance.

"Oh, right." Kakashi nodded. "We have a deal for you two."

Kisame scoffed. "A _deal_?"

"Yes. If you let us take Mitsukai and go, then you won't have to waste your time fighting."

Itachi felt the increase in chakra from the shadows around them. _'…I don't feel like dealing with them…'_

"Are you kidding?! Fight? Where?" Kisame chuckled. "Bring it on."

"Kisame. No." Itachi spoke quietly. Kisame looked back at Itachi then felt it too.

"Well, if you insist on fighting…" Kakashi shrugged as the trees around them in the dark forest swayed and rustled ominously. Kisame turned slowly and noticed the small army perched on the branches of the old trees. "Of course either way…Mitsukai is coming with us."

Itachi looked around. There were maybe fifty ninjas surrounding them. He returned his line of sight to Kakashi and his team. "ANBU?"

Kakashi simply nodded.

"I see you learned a few things from our last encounter." Kisame chuckled, putting the end of his sword on the ground then leaning onto it.

"Yes. Also, the Hokage has issued a warrant for her return. We are not to return without her."

The two Akatsuki members grew quiet, both contemplating their next possible move.

"Enough." The female whispered raising her hand. "We don't have time to waste." A quick flick of her wrist signaled their backup. Kunais, Chinese stars, and arrows rained down on the pair. Kisame repelled most of the weapons while Itachi moved out of the way, appearing behind the trio about fifty feet from fallen Mitsukai.

"You didn't give us time to answer."

They whirled around and looked at him. His speed was _incredible_.

"Itachi, do we fight?" Kisame yelled to his partner.

Itachi barely narrowed his eyes, creating an expression similar to an annoyed scowl. "We have no choice." He looked down at Mitsukai. Although her face was lightly matted with drying blood, she still had that damned innocent look he despised….That look that little Sasuke once had. Thankfully Sasuke no longer had that look, but she did. It took more effort than necessary to treat her indifferently. He had once even regretted unlocking her memories because that was when the look reappeared. They couldn't risk her getting hurt. He made a decision quickly. "Let's go."

Kisame stared, ignoring everyone around them. "You want to leave her behind?"

"We have no choice. There are novice ANBU members amongst our enemy. If we try to take her with us, they'll all pursue while attacking. She could be accidentally killed. It's an unnecessary risk." Itachi closed his eyes. "Besides…at the moment we have no immediate use for her. It's best to leave her behind…for now."

Ninjas dropped down from the trees and rushed toward them. Kisame groaned in disappointment (knowing that they would surely hear a complaint or two about this from Leader) and they both disappeared, with the ANBU members following them.

"Kakashi!" Pakkun called out again. Kakashi turned and squatted next to Mitsukai, checking for her pulse.

"What happened?" Meisuta looked at Mitsukai's broken body.

"From what I heard," Pakkun looked up at them, "she was disciplined for disobeying Itachi. They forced her to kill someone and when we left the village…she took off."

"They forced her to kill?" Kuroko looked down at Mitsukai, trying to keep from feeling anything towards his baby cousin. She was an exact opposite of his own little sister, Nozomi, whom he hadn't seen since he had been assigned to guard Mitsukai. He looked at Kakashi.

Kakashi touched her face. She was going into shock. Sure, she had the slow regenerative powers of the demon, but she was unconscious. That already slow process wouldn't repair the vital damaged organs fast enough on their own. "No one will mention it."

They stared at their commander.

"No one will mention what they made her do. She has so much going against her already: jinchuuriki, the Kurama clan's name, target of the Akatsuki. If we add murderer to that…it would only serve to make her life harder. I'll personally tell the Hokage…but no one beside her must know."

They nodded. Kuroko stepped forward. "Please. Allow me to carry her. If they come back, you stand a better chance against them than I do."

"Don't be ridiculous." Meisuta cut in. "We have twenty ANBU members still here to return with us. They'd have to disable all twenty _and_ get past me to reach you three…" She softened her tone as her eyes once again came to Mitsukai's face. "Allow Kakashi to carry her home."

Both men nodded and with a group effort, Mitsukai was carefully put on Kakashi's back. Once she was secured, Kakashi gave one brief nod and the entire group disappeared in jutsu smoke.

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A waning half moon hung in the dark night sky as the retrieval squad entered back into the village borders a day later.

"Miko," Kakashi addressed Kuroko by his code name in case Mitsukai had regained consciousness along the way, "you and Meisuta go report to the Hokage. I'll take Mitsukai to the hospital."

"Yes." Kuroko nodded and the pair disappeared.

It didn't take the available nurses long to move quickly when they saw Mitsukai's condition. Kakashi kept worry at bay by reminding himself that Itachi hadn't deemed it necessary to use doujutsu on her; she would be fine since he didn't use any mind damaging Sharingan techniques on her. Once she realized how bad Mitsukai's condition was, Tsunade took over as her doctor.

It was nearly four in the morning before Mitsukai was stabilized.

Tsunade, Jiraya, and Shizune all stood together against the wall opposite of Kakashi, Meisuta, and Kuroko.

"What I can't wrap my mind around," Jiraya muttered while massaging the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, "is why would they even take such a huge risk?"

This earned him curious looks from the others.

He kept his eyes closed but refolded his arms. "Surely, they knew someone would be tracking them right? I can imagine how much trouble Mitsukai is conscious and able to move around. Why stop and beat her within an inch of her life? To my knowledge, neither Itachi nor Kisame have _any_ medical jutsu skills. You all saw the way she looked when she was brought here. _Near death._ With the demon in her, why even take a chance with her life? Even if they knew she would live, she's useless to them in this condition. It doesn't add up…doesn't make sense to me."

As they agreed, Tsunade was told about Mitsukai's special "mission". In turn, Jiraya was also told. No one else knew…

Kakashi closed his visible eye. He remembered Pakkun's explanation and then thought about how Mitsukai sometimes acted during team training. Defiant. "She isn't exactly the most obedient girl in the world…"

"Are you justifying this, Kakashi?" Shizune narrowed her eyes.

They all stiffened at this accusation but let it go since Shizune didn't know the full story.

Kakashi rewarded her with an icy glare then just a quickly let it go. "Of course not. He was wondering why and I'm giving you a suggestion. Nothing can 'justify' what he did to her." Kakashi stood straight and put his hands into his pockets. "In so many ways…she reminds me of Sasuke. When I first met her, she was unsociable and didn't trust anyone. The more time she spent with us as a team, the more she interacted with others. Seeing her change…gives me hope that Sasuke can one day come to terms with what Itachi did…and move on with his life."

A day turned into a week. A week turned into three and it was soon spring. Kakashi sat by his student's bedside looking over her and her improvement. Although, physically she looked better having no visible bruises, she hadn't woken up once upon their return to the Leaf. All of her bones had healed, organs just fine…yet she hadn't opened one eye even slightly. Tsunade offered to heal her mind just in case Mitsukai had suffered any head trauma, but Jiraya promptly rejected the idea by pointing out that attempting to do so could open a direct channel between her and the demon within. Such a risk was highly unnecessary for any village's Kage.

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It was very early in the morning; the sun was just beginning to lighten the dark sky. On the horizon, three shadows bonded together appeared. Naruto and Sakura held up Sasuke who had been terribly weakened by Aoi's Raijin sword. Although he was conscious…he refused to speak. Two words echoed in his mind…_'you're weak'_...

Again he had been beaten so easily, without any real effort from his enemy. To make matters worse, that _one_ person (whom he'd planned on killing yet failed to do) made a mockery of him by successfully kidnapping one of his teammates. He'd tried to convince himself that she left willingly…but the look in her eyes when the last mission was assigned haunted him. Those empty dark blue eyes had reflected fear. Of what, he would never be certain…but he'd clearly seen it. If she had truly been working with Itachi…she wouldn't have looked like _that_. Even for an actress, it looked too authentic. She truly feared him. Itachi was so powerful…so _dangerous_ that she actually _feared_ him. Even the _Hokage_ had picked up one it.

But now she was gone. Had Sasuke been strong enough to kill the traitorous bastard…another person he'd failed to protect…

…All because he was weak. Naruto had once again come to the rescue, proving how much of a wuss Sasuke was.

_'No…'_

_'I _will_ get stronger…'_

Orochimaru's words whispered across his mind.

_'He will seek me to seek power…'_

Sasuke promised himself that he would attain the power to make Itachi suffer…by _any_ means necessary…and he'd meant it.

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Kakashi met the group at the hospital entrance. "Everyone in one piece?"

Sasuke stared down at the ground angrily so Sakura spoke up. "More or less. We just need to rest."

Kakashi gave an acknowledging nod before his visible eye turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke? Are you okay?"

Sasuke mentally cursed him for asking such a stupid question. All of them knew there wasn't any other logical reason as to why they could touch Sasuke unless he absolutely needed them to. Sasuke chose to ignore the question.

"At any rate, before I call over the nurses—"

Naruto looked around. "Where's Mitsy? If you're here in the village then you brought her back, right?"

His gentle tone caught them all off guard. Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed, then spoke matching the blonde's soft tone. "Naruto, you should let me finish…Before I call for the nurses…if you want, I'll take you to Mitsukai's room."

Three pairs of eyes locked onto him. Naruto nearly dropped Sasuke as he tried to move closer to Kakashi. "She's _here_?! Where?!"

Sakura's smile quickly faded. "She's here in the hospital? What's wrong? What happened?"

Kakashi decided to ignore Sakura since the answers would only send the children into distress…He turned and led the way. Only the sounds of shuffling feet could be heard going down the quiet hallway as the group moved towards their teammate's room. Kakashi turned the doorknob slowly and opened the door. The moonlight was filtered by a drawn curtain, lightly illuminating Mitsukai. Sakura's gasp was audible when her eyes landed on Mitsukai's uncovered face as her silver hair framed her soft face. Despite the ethereal appearance before them, the only thing Sasuke saw were the bandages she was covered in. They weren't the heavy kind, just the light weight kind used to ensure safety when newly healed wounds and bones tried to move.

Naruto left Sasuke's side to take a spot near Mitsukai's.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, teal green eyes focused on Kakashi.

Inwardly, the man sighed heavily. "We can talk about that later—"

"Itachi did this," Sasuke slowly looked up, "didn't he?"

The other three looked at him.

"I can tell…" He looked back down at Mitsukai, "by looking at the condition she's in. It wasn't too long ago that I experienced his attacks."

Sakura examined Mitsukai. "But she was worse than you were." She pointed out and once she realized what she had said, covered her mouth.

Sasuke didn't respond. She was right. Had Jiraya not interfered…his injuries would have been more complicated than a broken wrist, cracked ribs, and a tortured mind. Mitsukai was a living example of how much weaker he was than his older brother…

_'You're still weak…You don't have enough hate…And you know what__**You never will**__'_

He was weak…he needed more power to kill him…

_'Seek me to seek power…'_

And it seem that the only way to get it…was from _him_. The one whom had the power to organize a successful infiltration of their village…and had practically brought it to its knees. The one whom had the power to kill their Hokage. A legendary Sannin…Naruto was being trained by one…look at his growth. He had become more skilled…more powerful…more _lethal_ just by training with Jiraya. But Jiraya was soft—he cared about others. _He_ didn't. And because of that…Sasuke knew he could make him more powerful.

"She's back…" Naruto covered one of her hands with his own, "and that's all that matters…right?"

Kakashi and Sakura nodded in agreement, but Sasuke looked away. _'I would rather her be with the Akatsuki…than here in the hospital.'_

A figure appeared in the doorway behind them. "You three should go to be examined by doctors. Especially you, Sasuke. You don't look too good. I had half a mind to keep you here after I first healed you to allow you time to fully recover." Tsunade spoke quietly. Sasuke resisted the urge to hit something when he heard her address him. However, he and Sakura left as instructed, both casting a glance over their shoulders at Mitsukai. Naruto didn't budge.

Kakashi took a step forward. "Naruto…it's okay. I'll stay right here until you come back." Naruto looked up at him with surprise then his expression eased into one of appreciation. "She isn't going anywhere with us around…right?"

A faint smile teased the blonde's lips. "Right." He turned and followed the others.

Tsunade looked at Mitsukai. "If she doesn't wake up after tomorrow…I'm going to use medical jutsu to wake her up. I don't care what Jiraya says. She stands a better chance of defending herself if she were conscious than us protecting her."

"Yes, but—" Kakashi started but she held up her hand.

"I'm not saying she's fine on her own. That's been proven to be an incorrect assumption already. It would help if we could lessen the number of those guarding her and send them out on missions to help raise our incoming funds. Only one or two guards would be needed if she were awake."

"…And Naruto?" Kakashi looked at Mitsukai with his hands in his pockets.

"For now it seems that she's their primary target. Only time can tell. If I feel it's necessary then later I'll pull him from missions."

"You know he won't allow that."

She smiled and folded her arms. "I know." She thought of how stubborn her little brother had been. "Oh, trust me…I know."

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_'You're still weak…'_

Sasuke tossed and turned in his sleep. That voice…even in his dreams…those words were there…

'_You don't have enough hate…__'_

Screw him. He had no idea how much hatred he had for him. One day…one day…he'd show him the real meaning of power…and would slowly extract his life force with it.

_'__And you know what__'_

Yes…_very _slowly….

_'__**You never will**__'_

"Gah!" Sasuke sat up quickly, forehead drenched with sweat. He looked at the window. He had left it open when he fell asleep but it was now closed. One of the nurses must have been trying to burn him up…He pulled back the covers and got out of the bed. He opened it enough to allow the cool night air to come in. It had been a full day since he had been checked in. He felt fine now. According to Kakashi, he would be released soon. It had already been one too many days…why did he need another day? He heard a faint cough come from the room next to his. Mitsukai. At the request of his teammates, Sasuke had been given a room next to hers so they wouldn't have to travel all over the hospital just to visit them. He hadn't been in her room since they had returned…yet he now was curious…he now wanted to sit and look at her. His bare feet padded quietly on the cold tiled floor as he moved to his door and slipped out. The cool metal of the doorknob touched his warm palm as he turned the knob and went inside.

As if expecting his arrival, a chair was stationed his preferred safe distance from her bed. He sat down and looked at her. The air in her room was much more comfortable than his.

_'Seek me to seek power…'_ Snake eyes appeared in his mind as the mark on his neck painfully tingled. The more he considered the idea…the more the mark hurt…the more he heard the summon…the greater the urge to leave.

"Sasuke?"

He looked up to see Mitsukai looking back at him. He squinted a bit in the darkness to make sure she was really looking at him.

She sat up slowly and looked around. "Where am I?"

Sasuke frowned. _'She wasn't even conscious when she was brought here…'_ "In Konoha. Kakashi brought you back."

She looked down at her arms. "My whole body aches."

Sasuke looked away.

She looked at him. "What time is it? It's so late…yet you're here."

"My room is next to yours."

It took her a minute to process what he said. "So then Naruto and Sakura are here too? Why is everyone in the hospital?"

"It's just me and you. They'll be here to visit later on…when it's daytime."

She uttered a soft "oh" before lying back down. "I'm hungry."

"You can call for a nurse."

Mitsukai closed her eyes. "Maybe when I wake up. I'm sleepy."

Sasuke nodded and stood up. "I'll let the others know you were up."

"Thanks."

He slipped out of the room and went back to his room. Although seeing that she was practically fine…the desire…his hunger for power was overtaking his mind. Surely Naruto wasn't _that_ much stronger than him….

---------------------------------------------

Mitsukai woke up to an eerie silence. There wasn't a quiet chatter in Sasuke's room like it had been the day before. She looked at the clock on the wall that Sakura had put up for her. 11:08 a.m. Sasuke was usually up by now…yet there wasn't one sound coming from his room. She pushed back her covers and sat up. Her feet touched the cold tile and instantly she knew something wasn't right. Something was wrong.

She quickly dressed and dashed out of the door. Being led by her instincts, Mitsukai found a sobbing Sakura standing at the entrance of the village. "Sakura?"

The pink haired girl looked up at her, her teal green eyes red from hours of crying. "Mitsukai?"

"What's going on?"

"S-sasuke…" Sakura tried to speak clearly. "Sasuke left the village."

Mitsukai felt her jaw drop open in shock. "He what?"

"Left. I think he's going to Orochimaru."

Mitsukai blinked several times. _Orochimaru_. The one whom had shown her his Impure World Resurrection jutsu when she was too young to understand it. "Orochimaru?"

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself. "The Hokage sent Naruto and the others after him…and Kakashi-sensei just left as well." She looked towards the woods. "I hope they bring him home."

Mitsukai looked in the same direction. "Which way are they headed?"

"Northwest." She pointed. Mitsukai nodded and tightened her arm and leg wrappings. "Wait. Surely you're not going to follow, are you?"

Mitsukai didn't answer as she sent an enormous amount of controlled chakra to her feet and disappeared. The most she had to help direct her in the right direction where the broken trees along the way. She noticed a body leaned up against a tree and dropped down beside it. "Choji?"

He didn't move…he didn't even flinch.

She knelt down and touched his cheek. It was still warm…he was just unconscious. With one skillful leap, she jumped onto a branch overhead and continued forward. _'I'll just have to come back for him.'_ She promised herself that if she had to carry him back, she would get him help. She lost her balance and fell when she spotted Neji lying on his side. "Neji?" She gently turned him on his back and examined the wound. It was beyond her mediocre medical skills. She placed an ear to his chest…._thump…thump………..thump…._

Remarkably, he was still alive! She decided to at least stop the blood flow to lessen his chances of dying from excessive blood loss.

"…Thank you."

She looked up at his face and saw his eyes were barely open. "Neji, w—"

"Please…go find the others and leave me behind. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kiba kept going while I fought him…please go help them." He rasped closing his eyes. Mitsukai blinked back forming tears and nodded.

"But I will return for you."

"Just…go…I will be here." He gave a small smirk before falling unconscious again. Finally understanding just how dangerous the situation had become, Mitsukai turned and disappeared. _'Sasuke…what have you done? Your friends and comrades are risking their own lives to bring you back…looking death in the face just for you.__'_

The scenery began to become familiar to her. The roar of a waterfall reached her ears as rain clouds darkened the sky above. Sasuke stood over an unmoving Naruto. The sight was surreal; she wasn't sure if it was real or not. Sasuke suddenly fell over, coughing. She landed quietly behind him, watching him carefully.

Sasuke stared down at Naruto's face. He could kill him. He could do it….Right? He had to become his brother to kill his brother…didn't he?

Even with the rain coming down hard, Sasuke heard someone land behind him and sensed a bit of their chakra. He glanced over his shoulder then looked back down at Naruto. "So…you're awake?" He gave a small smirk

"And you're leaving the village. Kakashi-sensei is on his way as we speak." She lowered her gaze to her feet. "There are a lot of hurt people back there…they all were trying to stop you."

Sasuke stood slowly and started to walk away.

Mitsukai waited for some acknowledgement of she'd said to him. When she received none, she quickly checked Naruto's pulse then followed Sasuke. Rain soaked her clothes and she began to shiver from the cold water, yet she kept following Sasuke.

_**I know this really isn't you…**_

Mitsukai stared at the red and white fan on the back of Sasuke's blue shirt. Despite having been walking behind him for nearly a half hour now…he still had yet to acknowledge her. Was he that determined to leave the village? She had always known that Sasuke wanted nothing more than to kill Itachi. He had nearly killed her when he found out that she was once associated with the elder of the two…but to abandon his village and go to someone who wanted nothing more but to destroy something she had come to love? Was this the same person who had ordered her to protect Naruto with her life when he believed him to be in mortal danger? Was this the same person who had told her about their team's wacky definition of teamwork? Was this the same person who had laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and told her to be safe…and meant it?

No…

It couldn't be. The person in front of her had abandoned all who cared for him…had made Sakura cry tears from her heart…tears that flowed directly from the open wound in her heart that appeared the moment she had realized he was leaving.

_**I know your heart is somewhere else…**_

Itachi…Itachi was doing this to them. He wasn't even around, yet he was hurting them all in such a way that even a punch from him couldn't compare to the pain that was developing in their souls. Sasuke was so set fixated on killing one person…that he was unknowingly killing the ones that loved him.

_**A**__**nd I'll do anything I can to help you break out of this spell…**_

"Why are you following me?"

Mitsukai stopped and looked up at Sasuke's back. He had stopped walking. "I don't want to see you do this. I can't bring myself to let you go." She dropped her gaze to his feet…those same feet he was using to leave them all behind. "Sasuke, you're like my little brother. Say what you want…but at one point you cared for your team. You're still my teammate. You said it yourself…all we do is get in your way."

The soft rain fell around them.

_**I see you following your crowd**__**…**_

Sasuke's expression remained lifeless. "And you said our definition of teamwork was getting in each other's way then helping each other get out of the way."

Mitsukai couldn't bring herself to respond…only smile sadly.

He turned around to face her. "So are you getting in my way?"

She felt herself nod slowly as tears filled her eyes. "It will take teamwork to bring you back home."

"Mitsukai, there is nothing you can do to stop me—"

"I don't want to stop you, stupid!" She screamed at him. His eyes widened slightly upon hearing her raise her voice. Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I know that there is nothing anyone can say to deter you from your decision. Naruto lying on the ground unconscious is a testament to that. You've been around him since you two were in the Academy. I am not dumb enough to think that _I_ can think of something to say or do that he hasn't already tried that would succeed in changing your mind."

"…Then what are you doing?"

_**I know you're trying to fit in**__**…**_

"I wanted you to know…that I understand you."

Sasuke simply stared her, mentally trying to decode her message.

"I had a family…and lost them. Had the circumstances not be what they are…I would do everything necessary to eliminate those whom had caused their deaths."

"Naruto tried the 'we grew up the same' speech."

Mitsukai nodded. "This isn't a speech. It is simply a statement. You are doing what you feel is necessary to bring justice to your family's memory."

_****__**B**__**ut if you're **__**gonna**__** find yourself**__**…**_

She looked him in his charcoal black eyes. "What will it mean in the end? After you've killed Itachi…will you return?"

Sasuke looked down. "I have too many other things to do before I can think about that."

"Will you allow yourself to live a normal life? How can you be sure that killing him is all you need to do to ease the pain?"

_****__**Y**__**ou **__**gotta**__** start from deep, deep within**__**…**_

_****__****_"I don't know. I never knew. But my future lies in my past. I have to correct the past…in order to move forward."

"I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to." He started to turn away but she called out his name.

"Please. No one will be able to move on…unless they understand what's going on."

"My future changed the minute I found my family dead. My future was altered when I saw him standing over my parents' bodies. Dreams of becoming captain of the military police force like my father were torched and the ashes scattered to the wind. That is what my future _was_…and thanks to that monster masquerading as my older brother…my future _is_ to avenge my family by making him die a slow painful death, begging for it to end."

Mitsukai felt more tears threaten to fall down her cheeks…yet the rain shielded this from Sasuke's eyes.

"I cannot move on…until justice is served. I can't have a 'future' until I know that he is dead. No tricks. No substitution jutsus. _Dead._My future is not where my dream is…it's in the past…where it will always be."

_****__**H**__**old on to what you believe**_

Mitsukai's heart clenched upon hearing his words…how could she possibly try to stop him? 

**_I will always be your friend_**

"I understand…and I support your decision."

**_I know who you are inside_**

Surprised, Sasuke didn't know how to respond.

**_I am with you till the end_**

"As long as I am alive…I am on your side. Even if I am not physically by your side…I will never be far behind."

**_Never far behind_**

"…Thank you." Sasuke turned around. Mitsukai willed her feet to stay still as she watched the youngest Uchiha to leave her behind…moving closer to his goal…the border of Fire Country in which they could no longer pursue him.

**_I am standing in the distance_**

He became a distant figure…she couldn't even make out the clan's emblem anymore…then he was….gone.

**_You can take your time_**

_'Sasuke…whatever you do…please just come back. The others will never forgive me for allowing you to go….never.'_

**_And I will be here waiting_**

_'I'm sure that you'll run into me again…especially if the Akatsuki want me as much as it is said they do. Promise me Sasuke…if I get in your way…if you choose to kill me, do it quickly.'_

**_Never far behind_**

_'……………….Good luck……………….'_

**_Yeah…_**

**_Never far behind…_**

* * *

**_Lyrics brought to you courtesy of Aly and AJ's "Never Far Behind"_**


	10. Family

Chapter Ten: Family

Sakura stared at the quiet stream that passed by under the bridge she stood on. Her feather light pink hair blew softly in the wind and she sighed. A full day had gone by since Sasuke had left and yet no one had shown up. She was worried the moment she woke up….but it was taking too long. Something wasn't right. _'If only I were strong enough…if only I were actually of some use…I could have helped…'_

"Sakura!!"

She looked to her left and saw a blonde racing towards her. She instantly recognized Ino. "It looks like everyone's back! I heard they're all in the hospital!"

--

Naruto stared at his bandaged hands. The pain he felt was like needles pricking at his skin. His eyes reflected sorrow at the memory the pain brought. _'That's right…When we fought that boy with the needles…when Sasuke was there…'_ He had sat up but couldn't move much more than that. Allowing the Kyuubi to take over, even temporarily, was costing him dearly now. But it was worth it. Every second that the monster inside him had shared its power…was worth the toll it was taking on his body now. He fought his hardest. He gave it his all. He may have failed…but Sasuke had seen how serious Naruto was.

No.

He failed. He made a promise to someone that he cared about…and failed her. He blinked back tears. He could see those sad eyes…the ones he had made the promise to…those needless tears. She didn't have to cry. She shouldn't cry. Sasuke shouldn't have left….He should have fought just a bit harder…just for her. He finally stared at the thing sitting in his lap. Sasuke's headband. He took a deep breath. He wouldn't cry. He couldn't. He had to be strong.

But he felt like the "loser" Sasuke had called him so many times. He was the container of the Nine Tailed fox. One day, the Akatsuki would come back for him. How could he protect everyone from what resided in him if he couldn't even bring one twelve year old back home?

"So…you're awake already?"

He turned to see Shikamaru standing in the doorway, arms folded, giving him a lazy smirk. "How is everyone?"

Shikamaru chuckled and moved slowly across the room. He turned and sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. "Hello to you too."

Naruto's concerned expression didn't change.

Shikamaru sighed. "Everyone is doing fine. It took some of them a few hours of intensive care and surgery...but we're all alive and well."

Naruto relaxed a bit. "That's good….I'm glad."



Shikamaru took note of Naruto's defeated expression and chose his next words with care. "….And Sasuke…?"

Naruto's blue eyes reflected pain for a second before returning to his defeated expression. A brief silence followed. "…Yeah…" Outside, a hopeful, cheery Sakura had just put her hand on the doorknob preparing to enter. "He left."

Shock arrested her. She couldn't make anything move, not even blink, when she heard her worst fear be spoken with a sad whisper. Her hand trembled as tears threatened to fall as they quickly formed along her lower eyelids.

"Visiting, huh?" A woman's voice spoke loudly, jarring her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see the Fifth Hokage, Princess Tsunade, staring back at her with a smile.

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at the door hearing the voices on the other side.

"News flies quickly doesn't it?" She smiled as she slid the door open.

Naruto's blue eyes stared directly into Sakura's teal eyes. "Sakura."

"Naruto." She whispered. Neither had to speak it. They already knew…and felt the same way.

--

Mitsukai sat on the roof of her apartment, staring out at the village. Guilt weighed heavily on her heart, creating a feeling of betrayal on her part. That's what she had done. She had watched Sasuke walk away without attempting to stop him. At the time, she had understood his reasons and didn't interfere. Now she was having second thoughts. She had seen Sakura's tears. She knew how Naruto felt about Sasuke. She had betrayed her family. She should have tried to stop him. Even if she would have hurt him badly, it would have been better than what she was feeling. On the way back she had tried to come up with excuses as to why she didn't try to stop him…and ended up seeing the situation as it really was. She had aided a ninja in abandoning her village. So not only did she betray her family, but also the village that had embraced her as well. She aiding in a crime. She was a criminal. As if what she had done while in the Akatsuki hadn't been enough…but now she had helped a former ninja of the village successfully defect.

She hugged her knees and buried her face behind them.

She could hear Naruto's jolly laugh and see Sakura's giddy smile.

Was it worth it?

What kind of ninja did the things she did?

She thought about it. This wasn't what she asked for. She never asked to learn ninjutsu or how to paralyze an opponent in battle. She never asked to become a container for something she didn't know much about. She didn't ask to become a tool. She didn't ask to be shown stupid jutsus that resulted in her losing the one person she cared for the most and had adored her.

And she didn't want it anymore. She dabbed at her wet eyes with the back of her hand and stood.



No more.

She wouldn't have anymore regrets. She wouldn't allow others to use her. She wouldn't hurt anyone else. She could disappear. She could become smoke and just fade away from their memories. The gentle breeze blew through her hair as the warmth of the afternoon sun dried her tears. She smiled sadly to herself at the memory of Naruto sharing his "family" with her….and leaped off the roof.

--

There was a gentle knock at the door. Tsunade looked up from the report she was skimming. "Yes?"

The door opened and Mitsukai peeked in. Tsunade smiled. She was glad that the girl had stopped wearing her mask. She may have not been aware that she had stopped wearing it…but it was a huge step forward for her nonetheless. "May I please speak with you?"

Tsunade nodded and motioned for her to come in. "Close the door behind you."

Mitsukai did as she was told and stood in front of the desk.

"What's on your mind?" Tsunade asked as she laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them as her elbows rested on the desk.

Mitsukai only held out her open fist. Tsunade eyed the headband inquisitively. A few seconds passed before Mitsukai explained. "I'm requesting permission to leave the village."

Tsunade eye's widened with recognition and sat back in her seat. "Keep the headband. There's no need to leave it here if you plan—"

"I'm not coming back." Mitsukai cut her off and bowed deeply to apologize for her rudeness. "Forgive me."

"Why wouldn't you come back?"

Mitsukai didn't stand up, speaking to the ground more than to Tsunade. "It would be better this way."

"Better for whom?" Tsunade asked sharply. "You want to leave just because Sasuke left? Unfortunately, Sasuke's leaving will have little impact on the village. However," she stood up causing Mitsukai to stand up straight, "you leaving will have a big one on us."

"How—"

"I explained to you what you carry inside of you. I explained that _it_ is what _they_ want. We cannot protect you should you chose to run off."

Mitsukai frowned. "I don't need to be protected. All they want—"

"Is to keep you near them and use you until you are of no more use to them." She put both hands down on the desk and stared at Mitsukai. "They want the tailed demons. We have no idea when they'll decide to go 

after them…but when they do…your worth will decrease so quickly I wouldn't be surprised if you were the first one they targeted."

Mitsukai's face blanched.

Tsunade walked around the desk. "Besides…the retrieval squad just got back. They're still in the hospital Please do not subject Naruto and Sakura to the same pain they're dealing with over Sasuke's decision. I admit that his method was extreme…but nonetheless don't fool yourself into thinking that they won't be affected by what you want to do."

Mitsukai's eyes fell to her feet. "They won't care…when they find out that I didn't stop him."

Tsunade stared at Mitsukai for several seconds before blinking and covering her face. "So you _did_ leave the hospital. You went again doctor's orders."

"I know…but something didn't feel right. Because I went along with my gut instinct, I learned that Sasuke had left." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I left intending to help…but I helped the wrong person."

Tsunade moved over and leaned against her desk directly in front of Mitsukai. "Are you sure about that?"

Mitsukai lifted her eyes to Tsunade's and blinked. "What?"

"You feel like you betrayed Naruto and Sakura for allowing Sasuke to leave. If we wanted to, we could send more experienced ninjas after him…but I don't want to. I've seen the look in the kid's eyes. I've seen that look before." She thought of Orochimaru in his younger days. "He's made up his mind. You've seen Naruto's body. Sasuke is serious about this and is willing to fight to get what he wants. It's senseless to try to stop him. We could bring him back but he'd only leave."

"But still, I could have—"

Tsunade shook her head. "You don't get it do you? You snuck out of a _hospital_ to try to go help. What could you have done should Sasuke had decided to fight you too?"

Mitsukai thought about it. "He had just fought Naruto. I could tell that he didn't have too much—"

Tsunade leaned forward and stared at Mitsukai hard. "Sasuke is stronger than you. Period. You may have the aid of a tailed demon in you…but he has a curse mark from a Legendary Sannin. Power that you don't know. Power even Sasuke doesn't fully understand. You think that just because he had just had an intense battle with Naruto that you could have taken him down. You're mistaken. You're not looking at it from the right angle. You are not operating at 100 percent. Your body might be running at fifty-three percent now so I can only imagine what condition you were in at that moment you caught up to him."

Mitsukai's head dropped.

"And this was _after_ you used a vast amount of chakra to catch up to him. You passed _Kakashi_, and he left hours before you did. You put all of you into that run. When you caught up to Sasuke, I'm willing to bet you were in a worse condition than what he himself was in. Yet you believe you could have physically done something? Like what? Stare him down?"



"I get it." Mitsukai whispered bitterly. Tsunade heard her tone and checked her anger towards the girl. She only wanted to help. Just like Rock Lee had done, she rushed off to lend a helping hand not realizing just how serious her condition was.

"Good." Tsunade whispered softly and stood straight. "Put that headband on and come on. I have something to show you."

Mitsukai watched as the Fifth walked around her and went to her office door. She quickly tied it back around her head and followed her. Tsunade yanked the door open and a surprised Shizune stood there ready to knock.

"Tsunade-sama?"

"Cancel everything else I have planned for the day. Post-pone meetings. Reschedule missions that can afford to wait. I'm going out."

Shizune squeaked and her face contorted with terror. "W-what??"

"I'm going out. I need to spend the afternoon with Mitsukai." She threw a thumb over her shoulder at Mitsukai then stopped to look at Shizune. "Unless you have a reason as to why I shouldn't."

Shizune shook her head. "N-no! Go ahead! I can take care of it!"

"Thank you. Come, Mitsukai."

Mitsukai was so shocked that she didn't even protest or question the blonde; she had heard stories about her powerful punches. She wasn't too eager to even witness the truth.

--

Mitsukai stared wide-eyed at Tsunade as she quietly sipped her tea while her own grew cold. "Why are you staring at me?"

Mitsukai snapped to attention upon hearing Tsunade's voice and immediately picked up her own cup. She was having tea—_publicly_—with the village's Hokage. Even more disturbing than that was the fact that she couldn't think of one reason as to why she would do that. "S-sorry."

Tsunade smirked. "It's okay." She took a long sip. "I've wanted to speak to you since you returned."

Mitsukai put her cup down.

Tsunade noted how tired Mitsukai looked. _'Just as I thought, she nearly depleted her chakra reserves just to catch up to him…'_ "About your time with the Akatsuki. Did you hear any information of value to us?"

Mitsukai's brow creased with thought as she tried to recall anything that could help. "Nothing that I can remember…"

Tsunade nodded and continued to sip her tea. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"



Mitsukai stared at Tsunade. She was being given a chance to confess. To tell her what they had made her do to that poor innocent little girl….Feelings overwhelmed her again and she quickly shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

Tsunade gave her a lingering stare before putting her empty cup down. "Okay then. Let's get moving. I need to get back before Shizune has a fit. She probably thinks I did this just to skip out on work. If she did her job then she'd be partially right."

Mitsukai walked silently alongside Tsunade as they made their way back to the Hokage's building. Just as they reached the front door, Tsunade abruptly turned to Mitsukai. Mitsukai looked up at her curiously. Tsunade didn't say a word as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a picture. Mitsukai gasped as she instantly recognized the faces. "How did you--?"

"This was brought to me…by a family member of yours."

Mitsukai felt light-headed. "F-family?"

Tsunade nodded and folded her arms. "You have family here in Konoha. It didn't occur to me to even look at first but Reina brought me this while you were in the hospital. Apparently, one of your cousins notified the head of the clan that you were in town and in the hospital. He also explained to them that you're in danger. Matsuo came to me personally and told me that there are several members of your clan that is willing to take you in. They remember your father…and are sorry that they drove him off. I think it would be good for you to accept their invitation."

"Reina?" Mitsukai took the picture and held it delicately.

"I was told you were unconscious…but she was part of the retrieval squad I sent after you. Your other cousin, Kuroko, was there also. You know him already."

Mitsukai gave her another lost look.

Tsunade smiled and laid a hand on Mitsukai's head. "You know him as Miko."

Mitsukai's eyes popped open with recognition. "Miko?! He's my—"

She only nodded. "Yes. You aren't as alone as you'd like to think. You've been with family all along. He has an interest in you. As well as Reina as I'm told. They would like to spend time with you. Learn about you. You should give them that opportunity."

Mitsukai nodded and clutched her picture to her chest. "I will."

Tsunade smiled and turned. "Good. You can start now then."

Mitsukai looked up at her back. "What?"



"You heard her." A girl's voice said coolly behind her. She whirled around and saw both Kuroko and a woman she assumed to be Reina standing in the shade of the tree by the entrance. "We can get to know you right now since neither of us have any missions right now."

Kuroko smiled warmly. "Hello again, Mitsukai."

Something about seeing his smile once again, and knowing what she'd just learned, made her throw herself into his arms and hug him tightly. "Hello…cousin."

All three of them smiled as Kuroko gently ruffled Mitsukai's hair. Mitsukai pulled away from Kuroko and looked at Reina. She didn't stand out much except for the color of her hair…just like her own. Mitsukai smiled and hugged her, too. "Hello."

Reina's lips faintly curved as if she wanted to smile but was inwardly fighting it. "She reminds me a lot of Nozomi, Kuroko."

Kuroko's smile wavered, but didn't disappear. "I thought the same thing not too long ago…"

Reina nodded briefly. "She's next on our agenda. We'll find her and bring her back next."

Kuroko smiled and looked at Mitsukai. "How does ice cream sound? I think I can treat us all for ice cream."

Mitsukai smiled and latched onto his arm. "It sounds good." With that the three of them set off to find an ice cream parlor.

--

Things went better than they all had expected. After the treat to ice cream, Reina brought up the idea to go see a movie. After the movie Mitsukai asked about skipping rocks across the Nakano River. One thing kept leading to another and before she knew it, it was nearly midnight. Kuroko had offered her to stay at his place while their aunt (Kuroko's mother) fixed up the guest room. She respectfully declined saying that she could wait.

She took a shower upon returning home and then sat on her bed, staring at the picture Tsunade had given her. Her mom and dad stood side by side, with Kisho's arms around Akina. She looked into her mother's loving eyes…and her dad's cold ones. A chill ran up her spine and she blinked. For a second, she had seen Itachi's cold, emotionless eyes. She closed her eyes and folded the picture down the middle, creasing it. She opened them and carefully tore the picture down the middle, separating Akina from Kisho. Mitsukai stared at Kisho as his voice filled her head.

'_Why should I pretend to like you?'_

She frowned as she tried to check her anger. She didn't want someone who had been dead for years continue to have a hold on her….but it was frustrating. She couldn't understand why he would reject her. She hadn't done anything to him. Why? Why didn't he…couldn't he…

"I see you've already destroyed the picture." A male's voice chuckled. She turned to see Kakashi squatting outside her window. "I'm surprised."



Mitsukai looked back at the picture. "He hated me."

"Did he?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side as he sat down, letting his feet hang down inside of her apartment.

Mitsukai nodded. "Yeah. From what I heard, he didn't want me. He wanted a boy."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "I see." He lifted his gaze to her. "Well, you shouldn't let that get you down. I heard that the Hokage finally let you know about your family…and that you spent time with Kuroko and Reina."

She nodded again. "I had so much fun today!" She looked at him and smiled. "They want me to move in with Kuroko's parents so I'll be near the rest of my family…" Her smile fell. "But I don't want to."

Kakashi slid down from the window sill and walked over to her. "Why not?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure…I mean…I'm so used to living alone. So used to _being_ alone. I need time to adjust first. Then I can try to immerse myself into a new life."

"That's understandable." Kakashi whispered reassuringly.

Mitsukai stared down at the picture of her mother. "I want to try…for her…I'm just afraid…that someone else will get hurt."

"Wha—"

She shook her head. "I'm a threat to all whom I know. I can't say for sure that the Akatsuki wouldn't harm anyone who stands between me and them, since they didn't actually attack Shikamaru or Neji, but it's not a risk I'd like to take." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I asked the Hokage to allow me to leave but she said no."

Kakashi rested his hand on the top of her head. "What is out there that you can't find here?"

She looked up at him and he removed his hand. "Peace of mind."

"How's that?"

"I have friends and family here that care…Naruto is already a target. Staying here only doubles the jeopardy they will be in. Just like the Hokage allowed me to stay here instead of going on that mission…its just better if Naruto and I kept our distance. For our own sake's and the people around us."

"So no one's told you that Jiraya's taken Naruto and Sakura out on a mission?"

She looked at him. "No…"

"They're not even here in the village. I'm not sure what they're doing but I've been reassured they'll be fine….so you can stay."

"And when they return?"



"Are you going to allow the Akatsuki to make you live in fear? When you didn't know you were fine, but now…you're paranoid."

Mitsukai stared at the picture of her mother…and of her father. "I don't have a choice. I can't be so careless when lives are at stake."

Kakashi sighed. "Look at Naruto. Does it seem like he worries about things like this? All that's on his mind right now is Sasuke."

"Sasuke got away…because I let him."

"No. He got away because he wanted to. You've spent time with Sasuke. You know what kind of person he is. When he wants something…there is very little you can do to stop him. I tried to talk him out of the path of self-destruction he chose…but it seems it was a lost cause. A waste of my breath. I've been there since he graduated from the academy. Naruto and Sakura have been there since the beginning of their academy days….yet none of us could get through to him. None of us were able to talk him out of this. It was bound to happen. We did all we could and that's all that matters in the end."

Mitsukai nodded absently as Kakashi sighed heavily.

"Well…something just told me to stop by and see how you were doing before I went back to my apartment."

She looked at him…and threw her arms around his waist. "I love you, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi was completely taken off guard. He gently patted her back. "Uh…"

"If my dad had been more caring like you…then I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now. I'd still have my parents…I wouldn't have to worry about things like this." She kept her eyes shut tightly. "Sometimes it's hard to see you as just my sensei…I see you as the dad I should have had."

Kakashi inwardly sighed out of relief and rubbed her back. "I understand." He looked down at her and smoothed down her hair. "You should get some sleep. It's getting late."

"Okay."

They said their good-byes and before Kakashi had slipped back out of the window, Mitsukai was already fast asleep on top of her covers.

--

A full month passed by without incident. Naruto and Sakura began spending more time with Jiraya and Tsunade respectively. Kakashi decided that since his team was suddenly split he could train Mitsukai. At first Mitsukai was reluctant to train alone when she was used to have to hear three other people constantly bicker and argue, but after the first session of having Kakashi's full attention all to herself…she began to like it. He helped her perfect some of her techniques. He helped her realize that because of the demon's powers, all elemental jutsus like her Flaming Cyclone, had one serious drawback. Sure they packed a punch, but the demon increased its effectiveness by using a chunk of her chakra. All in all, she could only use one good jutsu in a battle before she would get extremely tired. Because of this, Kakashi decided to 

increase her skills in taijutsu to give her a better chance of winning. By the end of their second full month of training, Mitsukai had improved greatly, being able to actually "injure" a few of Kakashi's shadow clones.

Mitsukai was so tired one night after a full day of training that she went her new home with Kuroko's parents, showered, and collapsed right on her bedroom floor. Kuroko came home and was surprised to find her like that. "Kakashi-sempai, you shouldn't be so hard on her." Kuroko whispered to himself as he gently picked her up and laid her on top of her bed. He gently smoothed down her hair and left.

Mitsukai turned over on her side and whimpered.

…In her dream…

_Fire surrounded her. The screams of men, women, and children nearly made her go deaf. Buildings were on fire. People were running around in fear. _

_Towering over the village was a huge white dog with golden eyes._

"_Who knows what they plan to do…but surely it will end in the destruction of your beloved village and loved ones, Mitsukai." A gruff voice whispered in her ear. "Can you stand to see them die? Can you stand the thought of knowing you could have prevented it?"_

_Mitsukai shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks, eyes froze open in disbelief._

"_Then run. Leave while you can before they come….or you'll have to watch more people die like you watched your innocent, loving mother melt right before you eyes…"_

_The image of her mother sitting on the couch leaned against her father suddenly appeared…her skin burning as she was consumed by fire._

"GAH!" Mitsukai sat up abruptly and looked around. She took very deep breaths as she tried to calm down…but she couldn't stop the tears. "No…not again." She whispered shaking her head.

Her body seemed to move on its own as she jumped out of bed and began moving. She quickly changed into regular clothes and grabbed her backpack that was shoved under her bed. She scampered around the room tossing items into the backpack. She had to go. It was the only way to keep them safe. The Akatsuki couldn't get their hands on the demon if they didn't even know where she was in the first place.

She put the backpack on her back and quickly made her bed and tidied up the room. She found a slip of paper in the drawer of the desk that was in the room and scribbled a quick note. She stood and gave it a once over then went to the window. She lifted it up slowly and slipped out…intending to never look back.

--

Kakashi knocked on the front door but no one answered. He knew that Kuroko's mother often did her grocery shopping early in the morning to avoid the mid-morning rush. He knew by now that Kuroko's dad left around this time to attend various clan meetings. So that left Mitsukai. He sighed. Knowing her, she was probably still sleeping soundly after yesterday's training.



Kakashi turned and went around the house to her bedroom window. Could he help it that he was actually intrigued by her jutsus?

He knocked on the window. "Mitsukai? Get up." He waited. He usually had to drag her out of bed. He slid the window open and looked around. The room was neat…but things were missing. Several things seemed odd to him. He jumped inside and looked around. Something just didn't seem right to him. Finally his eyes rested on the note on the desk. He picked it up and read it. His eyes widened with disbelief and he immediately ran for the Hokage's office.

--

Tsunade read the note several times before laying it flat on her desk. "I'm not surprised…but you must go get her."

Kakashi didn't even respond. He disappeared with a puff of jutsu smoke and reappeared outside of the village's gates. He lifted his headband from over his left eye and looked around. Just as he'd suspected, she took off straight down the path using her chakra. There was a faint blue trace of where she'd gone, like a trail only visible to the Sharingan. He ran after her, following the trail.

Mitsukai sat on the top the same statue that Sasuke had stood on, hugging her knees and staring out at the water and landscape in front of her. It had been a while since she had travelled like she planned to do…where to go first?

"Mitsukai?"

She didn't even move. She knew he would find her. She had wanted him to. "Kakashi-sensei."

"You can't leave. It's not safe for you—"

"It's not safe for anyone…but it's what I need to do. It's better for me to be moving from place to place then in one spot."

Kakashi didn't know how to respond to this. Part of him fully agreed with her logic. The enemy can't catch a target if they don't know where it is.

Mitsukai had wanted to tell Kakashi the truth about her. She had wanted to tell him what the Akatsuki had made her do…but she couldn't bring herself to make the words come out.

_Flashback_

_The girl looked around wildly as darkness consumed her peaceful dream. A sudden calm feeling soothed her fear and she relaxed. Mitsukai stood over her…and plunged the kunai into her heart._

_The girl's heart stopped beating moments later…_

_Mitsukai pulled out of the Genjutsu and looked at Itachi. There were no physical signs of foul play on the girl's lifeless body._

"_Well done." Itachi spoke evenly and turned away. "One day it won't matter as much to you…when you kill."_

_End Flashback_

Tears welled in her eyes. How could he expect her not to care about taking a life?

"Mitsukai—"

Thunder crashed over their heads as rain began to fall…gentle drops at first…then pouring rain. Mitsukai stood slowly, taking the rain as her cue.

"Look after them for me. Take care."

"Mitsukai—" He watched as she disappeared into thin air before his eyes. He sighed heavily. It was no use. He had seen that look in Sasuke's eyes…and where was he now?

He turned and headed back to the village…hoping Mitsukai would safely return one day.


	11. I Missed You Too

**AN: **Thanks to those of you who've been loyal to this story and its characters. Finally I've reached the hill in the story…and now comes the fast vertical drop. Buckle your seatbelts; it's going to get crazy. Should I label this as AU (alternate universe)? It follows the storyline however thanks to Kishi it's far from the truth. Lol. Ah I'm just gonna have fun with this story. I hope you like. Read and Review.

--

Chapter Eleven: I Missed You Too

A breeze carried the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers through the air. The sky was surprisingly clear with only a few puffy clouds in the sky. For July, the outdoor temperature was so comfortable that one could fall right to sleep…however that wasn't the case for a certain group of people.

_(Nearly three years after Sasuke's defection…)_

Two figures wearing ominous black cloaks with red clouds walked silently side by side. They wore conic straw hats with bells attached to the ends of red strings that extended all around their heads in between long strips of paper. One towered over the other…but the shorter one had lethal aura that made nearby animals scramble for cover as they continued forward.

"Itachi, how much further?" The taller one turned his head slightly as he addressed the shorter one.

"Not too far. There's no rush. Deidara and Sasori are already in position. They should be fine for at least another day or so." Itachi lifted the brim of his hat, revealing his purple fingernails…and red eyes. "Should a problem arise, we will be summoned. In the meantime, we'll conserve energy by walking at this pace."

Kisame gave a brief nod and returned his gaze to his front, keeping alert for any potential threats. Yes, Itachi could fend for himself, but upon learning just how bad Itachi's vision had deteriorated in the past few years made him protective. Itachi was an important member of their organization. Until his purpose was fulfilled, no harm was to come to him. Itachi noted Kisame's change in the way he acted around him but didn't say anything about it. What could he say?

He looked at his surroundings. From his point of view, everything was black and blue. What he couldn't see was black. Chakra was blue. Walking around using his Sharingan to see was very tiring since it required him to keep a steady flow of chakra going to his eyes. However, it was the best way for him to see things "crystal clear". Everything gave off chakra, even trees. Normal vision made things extremely blurry so he only used it if he wasn't doing anything important or needed to see the color of something. Of course, he still occasionally tripped but Kisame always caught him before he even began to fall.

Something caught his attention so suddenly that he stopped walking, rooted to the floor. His Sharingan faded and his emotionless black eyes returned. _'Silver.'_ He blinked a few times. The color didn't change.

"Itachi?"

Itachi pointed. "What's that over there, Kisame?"



Kisame's eyes followed the direction Itachi was pointing. He squinted a bit. "Someone's lying in the grass."

Before Kisame could even think to ask what was so important about that, Itachi took off, cutting clear through the high grass and flowers. He didn't turn his Sharingan back on. Something in him just _knew_… Kisame followed, muttering under his breath about Itachi and his sudden voyeurisms.

Itachi came to a stop when he saw her. As blurry as his vision was, he knew her scent very well. Kisame took his place beside Itachi and looked down as well. A grin slowly spread across his face. "Well, well. Look who dropped out of the sky, Itachi-san."

--

It's hard to sleep peacefully in the sun when there is no sun. Maybe that's why she woke up. The sudden coldness of a looming shadow had stolen her warmth. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at the two shadows towering over her.

She yawned loudly before addressing them. "Excuse me, but, you're kind of in my light."

"You haven't changed a bit…Mitsukai-chan." A gruff voice came from the taller of the two. A male.

At first his voice and simple sentence didn't seem significant to her…until she realized he had spoken her name. She squinted and tried to shield her eyes to filter the bright sunlight to get a better look at him. "Who are you?"

Tsk. Tsk. "I'm insulted. You don't remember?"

Before she could think of a response, the other spoke in a low, even and disinterested tone. "Get up."

His simple command chilled her to the bone. She lifted her eyes to his…red eyes…of a demon. "I-Itachi?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "I will not repeat myself."

She stood slowly and took a step back, away from him and towards Kisame. "Itachi. Long time no see." She assessed him. Since she had last seen him, he had grown a few inches. He had lost some of his boyish features. His cheeks had lost their soft appearance due to faint stubble that had begun growing. Maybe his voice was even deeper than she remembered? Stupid cloak. She couldn't see anything beyond his face…even that was limited because of that stupid hat. Ugh. Had they not changed anything since she had last been with them? As if she hadn't complained enough… "Don't I get a smile or some sort of recognition?" She smiled and tilted her head to the side. "Didn't you miss me?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "We don't have time for this." He took a step forward, heading back to the path that he and Kisame had originally been on.

Mitsukai watched him warily. Even though she was a bit more comfortable around others to the point where she could joke and laugh openly…something about Itachi kept her on guard, as if he would 

suddenly attack her at any moment. When he had made it back to the trail, she turned to Kisame. "I take it he still has yet to learn the meaning of 'social'?"

Her next conscious thought occurred when she came to after being briefly knocked out. "Itachi, was that—"

"Let's go." Itachi muttered, flexing his hand in his long sleeve.

Mitsukai gagged momentarily and spit blood on the ground, holding her throat. _'Geez, did he get faster? I didn't even see him move.'_ "I missed you too, Itachi." She tried to stand but her vision was blurring a bit more than she liked. A big hand gently lifted her up then she was put on Kisame's back, piggy back style. "Oh come on! Don't you think we've graduated from this?" She looked at Kisame's blue hair. "How about something new and fascinating like…chakra rope? Or…actually letting me walk?"

Kisame let out a noise that sounded similar to someone trying to swallow a laugh. "I can't remember you being so…lively."

"Maybe you _have_ been around Itachi too long then."

Kisame didn't bother trying not to laugh. "Nice one."

Mitsukai smiled and pushed a few strands of hair back behind her ear. "May I please walk? I have no desire to run." She talked louder to make sure Itachi heard her. "I knew you guys would eventually run into me again…and I promised myself I wouldn't run unless I was in mortal danger."

Kisame was surprised to hear this. His lips curved into a satisfied smirk and he loosened his grip on her a bit. "How much farther do we have to go?"

"A little less than a kilometer, I suppose." Itachi answered curtly.

Mitsukai pondered Itachi's tone. "Kisame?"

"Yep?" Kisame tried shifted the young woman a bit. She wasn't as light as she used to be and he really wished Itachi would take that into consideration.

"Why does he make you carry me around like this? You'd think after some odd years he'd change at least a few of his rules…right?"

"Hm. I guess it's either this or he would have to trust you and let you walk. Or carry you himself. No. Itachi's been the same since the day you got away from him."

'_About that…'_ "Why did he hit me just then?"

Kisame chuckled causing Mitsukai to jump slightly. "It's just his way of saying that he missed you."

Of all the reasons she had prepared herself to hear…that wasn't one of them. "I'm sorry?"

"Seriously. Itachi spent these last years looking for you. Of course, missions still took precedence…but he still told me to keep an eye out for you in the meantime….But on days when we had nothing to do, I caught him sitting up in a tree like you used to on clear nights and he'd stare at the moon like you did."

"Kisame. Shut up." Itachi didn't turn around yet it felt like those blood red eyes had glared at them both.

Kisame made a face then whispered to her. "See? He doesn't want to seem soft but I think he cares about his little girlfriend."

Itachi immediately stopped walking, causing Kisame to do the same while making sure they were a safe distance apart. Itachi turned slightly, granting them a chance to see the side of his face. Even then he wasn't trying to look back at them. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Kisame let out an amused laugh…but shut up.

--

Nearly an hour later, Kisame wasn't as cheery as he had once been. "Itachi, she isn't exactly as light as a feather, you know." It was well after noon now, therefore hotter. Hotter meant that Mitsukai at some point had begun to sweat. Sweating meant that she was harder to keep a grip on, therefore harder to hold. Being harder to hold meant being heavier. Being heavier made the blue man wonder just why the hell Itachi was so prissy that he couldn't carry the girl or at least stop being so paranoid that she couldn't walk and alleviate them both of the burden of having to carry a sixteen year old. "Can't she walk now?" Itachi didn't answer. Kisame shrugged and attempted to put Mitsukai down.

"Keep carrying her." Itachi ordered.

"Why?"

"She'll make a run for it." Itachi stopped and finally turned around. "I'm in no mood to play chase."

Mitsukai scoffed. "As if I could make a run anywhere with my legs numb from not moving them." She tried wiggling her toes. "Besides, Kisame does need to rest his arms. How will he be able to use them if they're as numb as my legs?"

"So?"

"Ugh." She dropped her head on Kisame's shoulder. "Kisame, I pity you. You had to deal with this all by yourself."

"Yes. Pity me." Kisame pressed his lips together.

"Itachi, why don't _you_ carry me?"

Itachi stopped walking. "No. Kisame is fine."

"Speak for yourself." Kisame cut his eyes at the Uchiha.

"Itachi, you're overprotective."

Itachi stared at the clouds that moved slowly across the clear blue sky. "No. Just cautious."

"More like possessive over his girlfriend." Kisame joked. This earned him an icy red eyed glare.

"You're beginning…to annoy me." Itachi kept walking. After what seemed to be an eternity to Kisame and Mitsukai, Itachi eased himself down into a sitting position. "It's going to get dark soon. We should rest until dawn."

Kisame glared at the Uchiha. "Does that mean I can put her down _now?_"

Itachi only nodded. Kisame let out a sigh of relief and literally dropped Mitsukai. "Oof!" She cried out as her bottom collided with the ground. "Well, thank you, Kisame!"

"Anytime!" Kisame said cheerily before sitting down himself and sighing. "Wow. You're not as light as I remember."

Mitsukai smiled and laid on her back, staring up at the sky now a shade of amber due to the setting sun. "I would say that I'm not entirely the same person you knew since infancy."

Itachi seemed to have tuned them both out so Kisame prodded her for a conversation. "Like what?"

"You'd have to be more specific than that." Mitsukai sat up and looked at him. "I could tell you things that you deem irrelevant or things that you might say actually matter to you and…Itachi."

"Then where have you been…all of these years?" Itachi spoke softly, in a tone that caught Mitsukai off guard. It wasn't harsh or demanding…simply…curious.

"Here and there." Mitsukai stated. "I'm sure you knew I left the village."

"We found out the same time it was learned Sasuke defected…and went to Orochimaru." Kisame chipped in, not wanting to be left out.

"How did you find out?"

"An old acquaintance of ours…family to you."

Mitsukai gave the blue man a lingering stare. "Family?"

"She doesn't need to know anymore…Kisame." Itachi scooted back and rested against a tree.

Mitsukai looked at him then back at Kisame. "Who was it?"

"Kisame." Itachi said firmly.

Kisame sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, kid. Can't answer that."

"That sucks." She looked at Itachi. "Emo king."

Itachi frowned slightly then relaxed his facial expressions. He wanted to say something but didn't feel it was worth the effort.

"So then, Mitsukai, you never answered my question." Kisame changed the subject. "Where have you been? What have you been doing?"

"Finding me." She hugged her knees and watched as Kisame piled a bunch of sticks in front of them then Itachi blew fire over the pile. "Ah. Itachi learned the value of teamwork?"

Kisame looked at her, unsure how to respond. Did she need to know Itachi's condition? "Well—"

"No. It's easier to just make a fire rather than wait for him to spark one."

Kisame chuckled. "Last time I nearly burned down the forest."

Mitsukai glared at him. "I had hoped you had learned to appreciate our environment by now."

"Oh, come on!" Kisame looked at her. "It's just trees and bugs! What's wrong with practice swinging on trees and crushing a few spiders?"

"They're living organisms just like you."

Itachi watched their exchange while pondering what Mitsukai had said. _'Finding me.'_ "What do you mean…finding you?"

Mitsukai returned her attention to the oldest Uchiha. "Exactly that." She pushed her bangs out of her face. "Ever since my parent's died, I've had the hardest time finding myself. I was the person everyone else wanted me to be…but not the person _I_ wanted to be. I realized that the day after Sasuke left. I didn't stop Sasuke from leaving. In fact, I actually understood his reasons…and I was so concerned about what everyone else would think about me…" She sighed and crossed her legs Indian style. "I don't want to be no one but me. I don't want to be some do-good person if what I want to do isn't necessarily the right thing to do."

Kisame scratched his head while Itachi seemingly stared at the fire.

She noted their lifeless reactions and sighed again. "I found the real me, the playful happy child that my mother loved and that you guys stole from her…and I don't intend to let go this time."

Itachi slowly re-directed his glare to her. _'She doesn't understand. The old her was full of meaningless emotions that did nothing but hold her back. When she was "Shikyo" she was more than worth my time.'_ "The old you is worth more to us…than the way you are now."

"Doesn't matter. I never cared for your organization or your goals. Just like none of you ever truly cared for me as a person. I was just some object to you. Just some tool to use as you needed." Mitsukai looked up at the twilight sky. "I learned from a group of people now dear to me…that I control my destiny. My life is what I make it…and no matter what you do, unless I decide the same, the Akatsuki will not have such power over my life."

Kisame merely stared at her. Itachi stood slowly, allowing his left arm to slide inside his cloak and hung it through the opening. "Such bold words…from someone who will not stand firmly behind them."

Mitsukai smiled. "There was a time when I would argue with you. I won't allow you get to me or inside my head anymore…if you do, there's a little friend of yours that you all planted into my subconscious who won't be too kind with you."

This got their attention. Kisame looked at her. "You mean—"

"The tailed beast."

Mitsukai nodded. "I tried sharpening my Genjutsu skills for a while with Kakashi-sensei and my cousin, Kuroko. As a result, the other personality began to form…Before it could do any real damage or even become a permanent part of me, Houkou seized the opportunity to take over. In short, Houkou _is_ that personality our clan fears. Thus…I've decided to never use Genjutsu. Houkou's goals aren't as…noble…as I'd like them to be."

Kisame looked at Itachi who, for a short while, stared down at the fire. "If we could compromise with it, then we could have the power we seek from you to help us."

Mitsukai frowned. "Is power all you talk about? I can't recall you ever talking about anything much beside power."

"Hell, at least he talks to you." Kisame grunted sourly, already having started on dinner.

Itachi turned towards the forest and began to walk off. "Nothing else is more important."

"You sound just like Sasuke." Mitsukai complained sarcastically. "Oh yeah…it was _your_ fault that he's like that now. Controlling, egotistical, and a narcissist asshole."

Kisame promptly choked on his first fork-full of cubed beef bites in teriyaki sauce. Itachi looked at her over his shoulder, eyes glittering like dark rubies in the dim fire. "Maybe if you watched how we extract a demon from its host, maybe you'd be more respectful and obedient towards those who control your life_-force_."

Itachi continued walking and disappeared into the dark forest around them.


	12. The First Death

**Chapter Twelve: The First Death**

With dawn came expected dread. Mitsukai turned over and looked up at Itachi, whom was looking down at her with obvious disapproval. "It's time to get moving."

She frowned. "What time is it?"

"That doesn't matter. We're moving and you need to get up."

She opened her mouth to respond but his hand grabbed her shirt and promptly yanked her to her feet. Once he was sure she had her balance, he let go and walked past her. "Morning, kid."

She turned to see Kisame trudging along behind Itachi. "Morn—Why are we leaving? I haven't even eaten!"

Itachi looked over his shoulder. "Kisame."

Kisame sighed. "Ugh. Fine." He quickly turned around and threw the skinny teen over his shoulder as if she were something similar to rope and kept going. Mitsukai started to complain about being carried until Kisame handed her a biscuit he'd made from breakfast and promised to give her another one when she finished the one she had. Instead of being rewarded with her third biscuit, she was put down and tied to a tree.

"What—"

"We have something we need to do and I don't want to be bothered with you running off." Itachi muttered sitting down on a rock. Mitsukai didn't bother to argue with him. Uchihas were stubborn.

------------------------------------------------------

The two artistic Akatsuki members approached the entrance to the cave they had been directed to. Deidara looked at its smooth surface, curious since it didn't really resemble an entrance aside from the stone arc that stood in front of it. Unlike the mountain that was their headquarters, they didn't have to teleport inside. Instead with a little chakra channeled into their rings, the stone lifted and granted them passage.

The body was dropped on the cold floor of the dark cave. "You're late." An impassive voice echoed in the darkness. "Prepare it immediately."

Deidara adjusted his hat with his remaining hand and peered around. "The jinchuuriki was stronger than I thought…yeah." Deidara pointed out as his clay bird disappeared safely. That was something he worked on over the years. If he control his creations' detonations, then that greatly increased his fighting skills. The opponent assumed all of his creations would detonate then they would become more concerned with not getting blown up, thus forgetting him. If they assumed that some of them were safe to be around, then their guard would drop and he gained an increased percentage of the element of surprise.

The holographic image of Leader didn't acknowledge the blonde's statement. He instead made a hand sign and pressed his hands to the ground. The small cave began to shake and for the first time ever, Deidara saw the statue that the older members like Sasori made such a fuss about. Made entirely of stone, it was as tall as the cave itself, leaving inches from the ceiling to its own apex. It was blindfolded and handcuffed, seemingly being gagged with a scroll. Its hands were positioned in front of it, fingers spread out.

From what he had been told, each of them was to stand on their respective position on the statue's fingers, according to what finger they wore their own ring on. Using the sealing technique of Mystical Dragon Nine Exhaustion, it would then take them three days and nights to extract the demon. He gritted his teeth with anger. It wouldn't take so long if they had Orochimaru's ring to meet the requirements of a quicker extraction. However, he had taken it with him when he had left, thus prolonging all extractions. This was the reason they wanted him dead. Who knew how long it would take for them to capture all the demons?

A sad smile curved his lips. Knowing the truth finally, he was glad that she was gone. They had no intention of extracting her demon when they got up to the five tailed beast she contained. No. Instead they wanted her to live until the very end. They wanted her to be alive because they knew she would be of use in capturing and sealing the nine tailed fox. For that she would be needed to lure its jinchuuriki. He dreaded that time. He'd rather die while in the Akatsuki without having fulfilled his personal goal before having to watch that final sealing. He squeezed his eyes shut to get rid of the image Itachi had implanted in his mind. _'You need to accept the truth…you can't prevent it from happening. It's her destiny…'_

Ugh. He hated that bastard.

"Right." Leader whispered once the statue had appeared. He formed the goat sign, activating the other members' rings. "Assemble."

Immediately, holographic members began appearing on their respective positions on the statue's fingers. Deidara looked up and was surprised to see Itachi and Kisame on time. Usually they were the last to respond to any of leader's summonings. He and Sasori promptly took their spots on the statue as well, leaving the Kazekage's body on the ground.

"Now…let us begin…" Leader said taking his position as well.

------------------------------------------------------

Mitsukai watched the pair as they sat silently on their rocks. She tugged at the rope but apparently it was charged with chakra since it didn't even budge. "How long will I be here?"

"Three days and nights." Itachi answered quickly.

Mitsukai wanted to die then.

------------------------------------------------------

The scroll fell out of the statue's mouth and landed with a loud thud on the cave's floor.

"From this point onward, it'll take three days and nights to complete. Everyone be mindful of your real bodies." He looked around at them. "Zetsu, use your real body as a lookout. Use your largest range."

"I know." Came a short reply.

"With Orochimaru gone…shouldn't we expect to take longer than three days?" Kisame asked.

"If you really think so," Leader looked at him, "then let's get started already."

With that said, everyone began channeling their chakra into their rings, thus causing the fingertip they were standing on to glow. The statue's mouth began to glow ominously.

"Fuuin Jutsu, Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin!!" Leader called out the seal and nine dragons made purely of light shot out of the mouth and dived towards Gaara's body. He was instantly lifted into the air as the cave rumbled due to the powerful force of the energy being emitted.

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Curiosity killed the cat. Or so Mitsukai had heard. But watching the pair sit there unmoving was boring. "Hey! What are you two doing anyway?"

"Shut up." Itachi muttered.

She rolled her eyes. She wanted to know what was going on. They couldn't be just meditating. Their rings were glowing. Years of looking back on her time with them allowed her to realize several things. She was sure that one of the uses for the rings they wore was for communication purposes. Also, they were used as keys to get in and out of their base. So if they weren't trying to get into their base…then they were communicating. She looked at Itachi then Kisame. Well getting into Itachi's mind didn't seem like it would be easy or have a favorable outcome so she focused on Kisame. Originally she thought she had to touch the person to get into their mind like she had with Sasuke, but with a bit of training with Kakashi, she learned it was all about eye contact with the target.

"Hey, Itachi what are you doing?!" Kisame barked.

Itachi frowned. "What are you talking about?" He spoke calmly keeping focus. "Your projection is fading. Keep focused."

"I can't with you trying to pry into my head! Stop it!"

"I'm not—" Itachi opened an eye and looked at Mitsukai. "Mitsukai. Stop it."

"You won't tell me what's going on. So I'll find out myself."

"Gah! We don't need this kind of distraction! We just started the extraction!"

Mitsukai's blood ran cold. _'Extraction…?'_

Itachi glared at her and merely waved one hand. The ropes around her dropped and he made a signal for her to come to him. She stood weakly and felt her legs move against their own will towards the raven-haired man. He pointed to the ground in front of him and her body sat down Indian-style. "Give me your hands."

Mitsukai almost went crossed-eyed. "I'm sorry?"

He closed his eyes. "If you want to know so badly…place your hands in mine…making the same sign. You have to do it quickly."

She nodded and made the sign. His hands quickly covered hers and she closed her eyes too.

Gaara floated in the air surrounded by the energy from the statue. The sight made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "I-is he--?"

'_Yes. He's a jinchuuriki like you.'_ Itachi's smooth unemotional voice whispered in her mind. _'As long as you cooperate…this won't happen to you.'_

'_**Lies.'**_ A voice growled inside her. Houkou. _**'You're a container like he is. As long as you have me inside of you…it **_**will**_** happen to you. Don't let them fool you.'**_

Itachi was slightly surprised. He knew the Houkou had become part of her mind…but her subconscious? If she were to ever be knocked unconscious, they'd have to deal with it.

"An enemy from Konoha is approaching our hideout. He appears to be very skilled…his name is Might Gai."

Recognition sparked within Mitsukai. _'Gai-sensei?'_

"Who's that?" Leader asked after a moment of silence.

Itachi remembered the man from their brief encounter…and while he had a chance, pulled out a few memories of Mitsukai's. "He's quite talented. Take care not to underestimate him."

Kisame nodded at his own memory. "…Ah…that bizarre beast, eh…."

"I'll use that jutsu."

"Let me go…I've had one hell of a time finding my jinchuuriki…and it's starting to piss me off…"

Mitsukai tried to pull away. They were talking about Gai as if he were nothing more than a fly on the wall. However, Itachi didn't let go.

"No…" Kisame said. "I will go. I have personal vendetta against that man."

Mitsukai only wanted to free one hand so she could throw a rock at the back of the fishy man's head. How dare he?!

"Indeed…after all, that jutsu is suitable for you since you have a large amount of chakra. However, I'll still need to have 30% of it for the jutsu to power it while you do this."

"Bastard." Hidan grumbled.

"Oh well…finally…" Kisame smiled and opened his eyes. "It looks like I'll be able to pay him back for that kick he gave me."

Mitsukai opened her eyes. "Kisame, don't you dare!"

Kisame snorted. "Like hell I won't. It's action. I'm all for it."

Mitsukai tried to pull away again. Neji was in Gai's group. Neji had tried to save her alongside Shikamaru. "Itachi, let go."

"No." He murmured and pulled her hands closer to him. "Now shut it before someone notices you."

She froze. He didn't want them to know about her whereabouts?

"Close your eyes and watch."

Mitsukai shut up and did as he told her to. She watched with sadness as purple chakra was absorbed from Gaara. She had heard tales about him during the Chuunin Exams. She had heard from Naruto about him. She had seen by visiting the Sand Village that he was a great Kage…and was now losing his life.

"There's another…shinobi of the Leaf." Zetsu broke the silence after a few hours. Mitsukai snapped out of her light nap.

"Well…" Leader looked around. "Who's next…"

"…Me." Itachi whispered. He had no choice. If even one of their names were to be mentioned, Mitsukai would know who it was and try to run back to her team. He quickly let go of her hands and pinched her neck, causing her to fall over unconscious. He ignored that she had landed on his thigh and convinced himself that they were both fine…as long as she didn't drool.

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'_My right arm too…now I can't use jutsu…is this it?' _Deidara perched himself on a branch looking down at the tattered sleeves of his once fearsome cloak. _'But…that there is someone who uses doujutsu at Itachi's level…this jinchuuriki is no danger…but the problem is Kakashi…hn.'_ It would be easy to ignore some hyperactive brat…but to escape his sensei would pose a problem. He calculated his odds of survival and the steps it would take to ensure such an outcome. He became so preoccupied that he quickly forgot his target.

"…I'll get you." Naruto whispered with his back to the murderer. It had been two and a half years since Sasuke left them, since Mitsukai had disappeared as well. Two and a half long years to nurse his broken heart and confused mind, which he still had yet to accept their decisions. Now to lose another one that was so much like him, Gaara, was more than his mind could process.

Deidara snapped out if his thoughts upon hearing what he deemed to be such an empty threat. He chuckled. "Gotcha, gotcha. I'll fight you again soon…hn." He hadn't the time nor resources necessary to continue any fight.

Kakashi's tired voice interrupted Deidara's gloating. "You've let your guard down."

It was in that next split second that Deidara's awareness registered the incoming attack. _'Shit.'_ It happened so fast that the only thing he could do was look over his shoulder in time to see Naruto rearing his fist back and push it forward with such force that he _knew_ this wasn't going to be a love tap of a punch.

_POW!_

'_Nice right hook…hn.'_ Deidara made a note to kick himself later for thinking that if he lived to do so.

Naruto felt his rage increasing and his control slipping away…but didn't care. He saw the red clouds on that black cloak and immediately thought of Itachi…the one who had stolen his brother's mind, causing him to go mad and leave them. He knew that his person wasn't Itachi…but if he could, he'd settle for killing each of them one by one until he could get his hands on Itachi. His hands made a familiar seal but his mind was processing what he was doing. He was allowing his rage to take form and act on its own violent nature so that it could satisfy its urge to kill…

"Kage Bushin!!" He bellowed prompting four clones to appear sharing the same violent rage he was radiating. All of them grabbed one of Deidara's limbs to hold him in place as Naruto delivered a powerful kick directly to his chest, supposedly where he thought the monster's heart should have been. Deidara groaned out in pain as punches battered his face.

"Naruto…" Kakashi spoke softly yet loud enough for the blonde to hear in warning. He was losing it…

Naruto heard his name but didn't stop. He held up his right hand and a clone immediately began forming Rasengan for him. The same second it was formed he slammed it down into Deidara's chest…and was covered in clay as a reward. He breathed in heavy gasps looking down at what should have been a pile of bones, skin, and blood. He had used a clay clone to escape. All of that for nothing? He had failed to kill Gaara's assailant?

A new level of rage consumed him and he allowed the surrounding clones to disappear in a poof. His head dropped as he felt the demon within him slowly slip through the cracks in his control.

'_That's what…Jiraiya-sama was talking about…'_ Kakashi watched in awe as a tail made of pure red chakra formed behind Naruto.

Awe seemed to capture everyone who was watching and paralyze them. Mitsukai stood rooted where she was watching as the second tail slowly formed and the Naruto that she had known slipped deep inside himself. _**'Well, well, well.' **_Houkou chuckled inside her bewildered mind. _**'That is Kyuubi…it seems the seal containing him within his human container isn't as strong…He'll kill everyone in this area if he gains full control…'**_

Itachi and Kisame both were perplexed by this. They had heard rumors that the jinchuuriki's were able to draw out the chakra of their contained tailed demons…but it hadn't occurred to them that they could also take _form_ of them as well. This changed things. They would have to reconvene and discuss this new information to better develop tactics for capturing the remaining eight demons. Itachi pictured the Kyuubi standing over Konoha all those years ago and watched as Naruto looked around wildly, looking for a target, something to snatch apart. Mitsukai took a step forward and Itachi immediately reached out, grabbing her by her shoulder.

"That's not the Naruto you know. If you try to approach him in this state, you'll be killed. We need you alive." Itachi whispered low enough for her alone to hear. Mitsukai returned her wide-eyed stare to Naruto and nodded once. She had a sense of self-preservation, contrary to the overprotective one's beliefs.

Deidara smiled watching the newly transformed Naruto leap to another rock. _'Well, no wonder each hit was so heavy…'_

Itachi watched intently as Kakashi whipped out a piece of paper with a seal on it then press it to Naruto's forehead. Within seconds, the boy was back to normal. "Have you calmed down?"

Mitsukai watched as Naruto returned to the one she'd left those years ago without a proper goodbye. Her eyes watered. She listened to the talk of his now deceased friend and guilt assaulted her heart. She bit her lip to fight the tears but one escaped and fell down her cheek.

Kisame and Itachi both heard one brief sniffle from the girl. Itachi knew that allowing her to come see her former teammates would do them little good, even if they'd learn something useful. "We need to go."

Mitsukai turned and looked at him with indifferent eyes. "What about Deidara? That was a clone…so shouldn't we go find him?"

"Sasori will collect him. He's not our responsibility." Itachi murmured coldly.

Kisame eyed the group surrounding Naruto, and he noticed the two women that had dropped down. "Sasori's dead."

Itachi's eyes snapped back towards the group. Though he'd had no contact with the third kunoichi that had originally been part of Sasuke's former Genin team, he could faintly make out the eye irritating pink hair color. "The one that had been left to fight Sasori, I presume?"

"Yes, Itachi-san."

Itachi didn't say anything for a moment. "Let's go."

Mitsukai turned around. "What about Deidara?! You just said his partner is dead! We should go retrieve him and take him with us. Leader might not like the idea of us abandoning those who contribute to our cause to die after having aided in the sealing of the first demon."

Itachi looked over his shoulder. "Since when did you care about our cause?"

"Since I realized that until you decide to extract the demon in me there's no point in worrying about death. Besides…it's easier for us all if I simply cooperate right?"

Kisame smiled, "Thinking like that will get you biscuits for breakfast everyday!"

Mitsukai's eye twitched at the thought but she quickly shook it off. "Can we please find him first?"

Itachi didn't say a word, opting to keep walking as if the girl hadn't made such a ludicrous request.

Kisame shrugged and followed. "He should be around here somewhere. With no arms, how far can he have crawled?"

Mitsukai decided then and there that Kisame's sense of humor was slowly being killed by Itachi.

'_Unbelievable…'_ Deidara looked at the pink haired girl and the old woman she supported. _'That the little girl and old hag could defeat Sasori-danna…Like anything is left for the future as a thing for eternal beauty…he got killed straight off. That creation of his real body with the exposed weak point was just him being overconfident…hn. Well, even if I do say so myself…that was an end fitting for an artist.'_ He crawled on his knees from his hiding spot in bushes and immediately looked up aware that he wasn't alone.

"Well done, Neji."

The first thing Deidara thought upon seeing the older male in his tight spandex outfit flanked by his squad caught even him off guard. _'….What the hell is wrong with his eyebrows, hn?'_

Of course, Gai's voice alerted the other squad thus returning all attention onto Deidara. Mitsukai reached for her own shuriken to deflect the ones being aimed at her senpai but found them missing. She turned to give her captors an accusing glare and only Kisame bothered to shrug in apology. Even with only one kunai in his mouth, Deidara was able to dodge the ninja tools, but he knew he couldn't keep it up for long. _'Now there's no way I can escape…'_

'_There has to be something I can do…'_ Mitsukai thought. She knew it was impossible for Deidara to best both teams…so if she could distract one of them…

Itachi couldn't cover her mouth quick enough when he realized what she had planned to do. "Don't you da—"

"HEY NARUTO!!!"

Naruto's entire body froze as a familiar voice reached his ears. Sakura turned to look in the direction of the new voice and her jaw dropped in shock.

"…Mitsukai?" Kakashi spoke her name softly, the way a parent finally being able to rest knowing their child is alive would.

Mitsukai took a step out into the opening where they stood and waved tentatively. "Hi."

Naruto stood slowly and turned to her, not sure if he were dreaming or not. "Mitsy?"

She nodded and took another step forward, smiling with her head tilted to the side. "How have you been Naruto?"

Had she blinked for a second too long, she would have been smacked upside the head by Naruto's foot. _"LIES!"_

"_NARUTO WHAT THE HELL?!?!"_ Mitsukai screamed ducking another one of his round house kicks and putting up both hands to block his punch.

"YOU CAN'T BE MITSUKAI!!!" Naruto screamed stepping back to summon a clone. Her eyes widened and immediately she did the same, knowing if she didn't try to keep up with him he'd end up kicking her ass all over the meadow behind them and forest.

"WHY NOT?!?!"

"BECAUSE THE MITSUKAI I KNOW WOULD _NEVER _HAVE LEFT ME WITHOUT AT LEAST SAYING GOODBYE!!! SHE KNEW HOW IT HURT THAT SASUKE TRIED IT AND WOULD **NEVER** DO THE SAME THING!!!" Both Narutos took off towards her with kunais drawn, prepared to strike. Mitsukai stood there rooted to the ground. Her clone disappeared with a poof as her will to fight disappeared.

"...I-I'm sorry. I didn't think of that." She whispered staring down at the ground between them. Naruto saw the broken expression on her face and his footsteps slowed down to a walk.

"….Why?"

She lifted her blue eyes to meet his. "So many reasons….but I didn't want to bring harm to you anymore."

Naruto choked on a laugh. "I bring harm to myself just by being alive, Mitsy! It wouldn't have mattered if you were there or not…but I prefer you there."

Before she could respond, Itachi appeared at her side putting his arm around her waist and leaning down to whisper into her ear. "Sorry to interrupt but we must go. Deidara opted to blow himself up."

"Wha--?"

_**KABOOM!!!!**_


	13. Like A Baby Sister

**A/N:** I apologize for the slow updates to all of my works. Just getting through the holidays and finally moving into my own place! Thanks to all of you who review and wait loyally for the next chapters.

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Chapter Thirteen: Like A Baby Sister**

It wasn't that Mitsukai hadn't gotten used to waking up in weird unknown places. No, that wasn't the problem. Her problem was waking up with Itachi's face less than a foot from her own with his wide, red, somber eyes boring down at her. "GAH!"

Itachi managed to move out of the way in time to prevent Mitsukai's forehead slamming into his forehead protector. "You move fast for someone who'd just slept for seven hours."

Mitsukai ignored him trying to calm her heart down. The blue one sat across the fire from them guffawing loudly. "Itachi-san, did you see her face? She looked like she'd have a heart attack!"

Mitsukai shot Kisame a sour look then eyed the pan positioned over the fire. "What's for dinner?"

Kisame smiled. "Fish."

Mitsukai bit on her bottom lip and, after failing to summon the self control necessary, asked, "…I thought you didn't eat fish? …Isn't that cannibalism?"

If Itachi still hadn't been sitting next to her, the kunai Kisame had swiftly thrown would have caught her square in the throat. "Kisame." Itachi murmured in an urgent tone dropping the kunai to the ground. Mitsukai blinked a few times then slowly brought a shaky hand up to her throat. She honestly couldn't remember the Fish Head being able to move so fast…

"….stupid girl….stupid assumptions…." Kisame muttered angrily poking the fish around the pan.

Itachi moved into an Indian style sitting position and seemingly watched the flames dance around in the fire. Mitsukai watched the flames illuminate Itachi's face. She'd never paid much attention before, but Itachi had long eyelashes, the kind one would picture a model having. His cheeks were rounded, not as plump as she remembered Sasuke's having been…maybe with age they thinned out? She was tempted to touch the tip of his nose playfully but thought better of it, wanting to keep her fingers. His expression was blank as usual…but something was different about it. He didn't seem to actually see the fire blazing in front of him. She noticed then that he didn't have his Sharingan activated.

"Itachi-san?"

"…..Yes?" He answered after a few minutes passed.

"May I ask what you're looking at? Or thinking of? Since you don't have your Sharingan activated and it doesn't seem that you're looking at the fire." Mitsukai stumbled over her words realizing how insignificant her questions were to him.

Itachi took his time composing his answer and even longer to answer her. "Nothing really."

Mitsukai sighed inwardly. She expected such a response. "Okay." It was better to leave it at that and not push the subject any more.

After Kisame had served them their plates, Itachi startled her. "I was thinking Deidara is dead."

She wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. She wasn't sure if she even responded. The only thing she knew for fact was the explosion that she assumed had knocked her out.

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The ground shifted ominously, miles away from where the large crowd of shinobi gathered. Deidara emerged from the ground with a scowl on his face and landed on his feet in a low crouch, then stood slowly. "Jeez…I can't believe that even my self-destructing clone was eaten up like that…Although, I guess it did create enough of a diversion for me to escape."

He shook his body a little to free the bits of dirt and gravel that still clung to his clothes and hair. He looked towards the general direction of where he had been trailing the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. "Hmm…the only part I lost for good was the part of my arm around the elbow. Better start looking for my right hand and the ring that I dropped…hm."

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Bodies littered the area…or what seemed to be bodies. Puppets were everywhere. Zetsu stood over the only puppet that mattered, Sasori. _'Looks like this is the real Sasori…'_

"I found it!"

The oddly child-like yet young adult voice rang in his ears and Zetsu turned to see what the strange man had found.

"I found it, Zetsu-san!" Tobi eyed the ring then began flipping the ring up into the air as if it were nothing more than a coin. "So do you think I'll be able to become a member o the Akatsuki now?"

"_You moron. You don't really think you can join that easily, do you_?" One side of Zetsu hissed with disapproval at the question.

"Oh come on…we can let him in. Tobi is a good boy."

Tobi was such a good boy that he missed catching the ring he was flipping into the air and had to spend an extra fifteen minutes searching through rubble to find it again.

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After finding Sasori's ring, Zetsu declared that they had to locate Deidara and his ring. At this suggestion, Tobi was thrilled because he favored Deidara. However when they arrived to the portion of the forest that Zetsu had last sensed Deidara, evidence didn't seem to be in his favor.

"What's this?" Tobi stared at the object. "It looks like Deidara-san got himself killed too."

At his feet lay part of Deidara's right forearm and hand, complete with his assigned ring.

"I'll be you anything that his cause of death was an explosion, Zetsu-san. I wonder if there are pieces of him laying around here somewhere." Tobi chortled picking up the hand to eye the ring.

"Keep your hands off, moron."

Tobi froze and looked up to see the blonde-haired person emerge from the bushes looking exhausted, breathing heavily. "Oh! You're alive!"

"_What happened to the jinchuuriki?"_

"Hey, I've finished my assignment already. Remember?" Deidara snapped.

"What's this? Look at you, you're just barely hanging in there, Deidara-san." Tobi looked at Deidara with one would think was concern. "You ok? Er…" He looked at Deidara's arms. "I guess not."

"……" Deidara only stared at him. "Tobi. Even my tolerance has limits. Just try saying something else. I'll assign you a cause of death, hn."

"What's that? Death by explosion again?"

There was a nice breezy silence before a voice spoke. _"You just broke….his limit."_

"**DEATH BY SUFFOCATION, HN!!!!!"**

Tobi's only reply was the sound of choking.

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'_There is nothing worse than having to be stuck with a five year old trapped in'_—"Hey Tobi, how old are you?"

Tobi stopped talking and paused to ponder this question. His final answer was a shrug.

'_He doesn't even know his age.'_ Deidara huffed becoming increasingly annoyed with the sound of Tobi's persistent chatter and the flapping caused by his (now) empty sleeves in the night breeze. It was one thing for Sasori to allow himself to be killed by a teenager. One thing he was still dealing with since that did leave him no one to argue about art with. However, it was a totally absurd issue for Zetsu to declare that Tobi—who cannot recall his age to save his life—as his partner. It was quite possible that Tobi had no earthly idea as to what art truly is therefore eliminating any possible art arguments.

"Hey sempai?"

"Please let it be important Tobi."

"I see Itachi-san and Kisame-san up ahead…with someone else." Tobi stopped. "Should I go ahead and check it out for you? You know, since you're an invalid now."

Deidara bit his lip so hard it nearly bled holding back a stream of profanities he was sure would add color to Tobi's twelve count crayon colored world. "…No…thank…you."

"Are you sure?"

"If Itachi and Kisame are there surely the third person is there by force or choice."

There was a pause before Tobi's hushed voice spoke again. "Do you think it's one of their girlfriends?"

Before Deidara could ask what the hell Tobi was babbling about, the subtle scent of lavender reached his nose on the breeze becoming a bit stronger with each step. Soon voices from the campfire could be heard.

"Someone's coming." Kisame's gruff voice announced as he shifted to bring his blade into a defensive position.

"Relax." Itachi spoke softly not even twitching as he continued to gaze at the fire.

"Who is it?" A feminine voice cut the silence and it made Deidara pause for a moment. The possibilities ran through his head and he increased the pace of his steps.

"Ah, sempai! Why the hurry all of a sudden? Cripples like you should take it easy." Tobi pulled on Deidara's sleeve.

"Let me go, hn."

Mitsukai inhaled sharply and held her breath, realizing that company was coming from behind her.

"Why the rush?" Tobi asked in a whiny voice. "If you hurt yourself any more, Leader-sama will blame me—"

"Shut it."

The pair emerged from the bush. "Ta da!" Tobi cried out dramatically posing causing all eyes, even Itachi's, to look up. "We…are…HERE!!!"

Deidara then wished for arms and hands solely to either cover his face or choke the moron.

Mitsukai looked past the swirly masked man and saw a beat up, tired blue eyed blonde staring directly at her. "D-dei—"

"Mitsukai." Deidara whispered taking in the older Mitsukai. He couldn't deny that she had matured physically. However, she still held the same spark of innocence he'd found in her eyes the day he met her for training. They were a deep midnight blue (almost black in their current setting) that looked at him with awe, respect, and sibling love. Her hair had grown a bit, almost reaching her waist. He immediately remembered Itachi's complaints about her hair length and knew she'd end up losing a few inches, more if Itachi wasn't in a good mood.

"Nii-san." Mitsukai had her arms around Deidara's waist within seconds, outright sobbing into his chest. "I thought you were dead!"

Tobi rubbed the back of his head. "Well, if you really want to be honest, he might be. He has no arms and that blast cleared a five mile radius from the center…not to mention that scowl makes him look a bit zombie-like, don't you think?"

Deidara looked down at her tears of relief and fought a smile. This was no way for members of their organization to act. They were supposed to be more serious…emotion-less…yet it made his heart both ache and rejoice. He hated that she had be dragged back into his hell, yet ecstatic that he had someone to share the burden with. Granted, he knew that it was highly unlikely he'd get to spend much time with her, but knowing that he'd get to see her wearing a cloak again and be partially held responsible for her presence there did make him happy. "Hn…if you don't watch it, you'll end up acting like Tobi."

Itachi watched the reunion and it grated him. He watched from the corner of his eye as Mitsukai chatted with Deidara answering all his questions about her past three years as if he were only asking her name. He watched as she found clay in his pouch and carefully molded replacement arms so that he could set to work on making new ones. In all his years of knowing her, never had she shown that kind of dedication and care for anyone else. _'Weak. She's weak for even allowing such a bond to form.'_

Deidara fought to keep his emotions under control. He wouldn't be able to stand hearing any of the Uchiha's "emotions make you weak" lectures. Yet, it was a challenge. He missed her so much…and hated the idea of her leaving again for any reason.

"Let's go." Itachi stood finally. Tobi had been leaning against a tree having a silent one-sided staring contest with Itachi. Kisame, Deidara, and Mitsukai had all fallen asleep.

"Huh? What?" Mitsukai muttered rubbing her eyes.

"Seriously Uchiha. A few more hours won't hurt. We've just sealed one jinchuuriki, hn." Deidara glowered at him.

Kisame didn't bother to complain. He had learned a long time ago that it made little difference in Itachi's original command.


	14. How You Really Feel

**Chapter Fourteen: How You Really Feel**

The attempts to change Itachi's mind proved to be a wasted effort. However, Deidara refused to be ordered around by the younger of the two and took it upon himself to travel with Mitsukai. Kisame didn't mind the company. Tobi found joy in terrorizing Mitsukai with his childish pranks and jokes.

"Hey, Mitsy-chan?"

"Yes Tobi?" Mitsukai huffed and turned to him reluctantly only to find the Halloween mask less than an inch from her face making a noisy kissing sound. "Ew!"

"Mitsy-chan, come on! Have you never kissed a guy before?" Tobi pouted folding his arms across his chest and turning away.

"No." Mitsukai spat scrunching her face up in disgust. "And I don't want my first kiss to be with a guy who looks like he plans to go rob children of their candy."

"I'd do anything for you, Mitsy." Tobi clasped his hands together in a mock romantic pose leaning towards her for another attempt.

"Tobi, I will personally rip your lips off if you _don't_get away from me." Mitsukai threatened quickening her pace to get away from the good retard.

Tobi merely shrugged and moved onto to questioning Kisame about his heritage and the cause of his blue skin. An arm snaked its way around her shoulders and she shot a dirty look to the offender only to smile. "Yes?"

Deidara smirked but kept his eyes on Itachi's back. "Remember you told me that this time you had no intention of trying to leave?" He waited until Mitsukai nodded to continue. "I was thinking that we could ask Leader-sama to have you partnered with me and Tobi."

"That would be—"

"He won't go for it." Itachi stopped but didn't turn around to face them. "And even if he did consider it, I'd let him know how vulnerable you are to each other. You both are too wrapped up in each other to be efficient for any missions. Furthermore, with one of you harboring a jinchuuriki within you, it is in our best interest to keep you around others that can contain and control you should you decide to make a run for it, _Mitsukai_."

"Ita—"

Itachi suddenly appeared in front of her holding her by her throat, slowly lifting her up off the ground. "You are more trouble than you're worth. You're always asking for things you have no right to ask for. You're lucky that we haven't sealed the demon your body contains just to rid us of the headache that you really are."

"Itachi!" Deidara yelled.

Itachi ignored the blonde and tightened his grip. "You will respect your seniors. You will respect the fact that your life belongs to me. I am the one responsible for you, not your precious boyfriend. You will not even consider trying to be placed with another team."

"He's…not…my…boyfriend!" Mitsukai protested trying to pry his hand away from her throat.

Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously and he gave Deidara a menacing look. "Are you sure?"

Before anyone could react, Itachi threw Mitsukai up into the air and allowed her fall back down only to deliver a swift kick to the gut that sent her flying into the trunk of an old hallow tree that toppled over from the impact. As predicted, Deidara shoved his way past the Uchiha to Mitsukai's side. "Are you okay?"

Mitsukai tried to sit up but her vision blurred every few seconds causing her to hold her head and groan. "I've been worse."

"What the hell is your problem, hn?!" Deidara whirled around to face Itachi's stony expression. "You could have killed her!"

"You forget that she is a container. She has regenerative powers. Unless the attack is fatal, she cannot die from being thrown into a tree." Itachi whispered coolly. "Like I said, you both are too concerned with each other to be aware of such insignificant things. There is no time for intimate relationships in this organization, _especially_ with other members. We all have duties that take precedence over our personal goals."

Mitsukai winced as she was pulled to her feet by Kisame. "Even so, Itachi, broken ribs take time to heal—regenerative powers or not. There's no sense in hurting me so that I cannot be of help in a mission or even protect myself should I need to do so. Would it hurt you to make your point _without_ hitting me?!"

Itachi turned away. "You missed the point. You were originally placed with Kisame and I for a reason. No one else can contain you as effectively and quickly as we can. You aren't allowed to be with Deidara because of the personal relationship you two developed. It's no secret that Deidara would escape from us if he ever decided to…" He looked over his shoulder, Sharingan blazing, immobilizing Mitsukai. "…and that he'd attempt to take you with him."

"Now, now." Tobi stepped in between Itachi and Deidara with his hands on the back of his head. "There's no need to fight over Mitsy-chan. She's taken. If anyone takes her anywhere, it would be me!"

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So many questions raced through her mind. She felt so utterly alone without Deidara's company. After the standoff with Itachi, Pein had contacted them to deliver assignments. This time he was immediately informed of her presence. She was given a half-hearted welcome back then Deidara and Tobi were assigned a mission to retrieve a missing scroll. Due to the village's location, they had to leave immediately in order to intercept it. As soon as Deidara and Tobi disappeared on a huge flying bomb, Pein assigned them the task of locating a feudal lord's son who disappeared. It was an important mission to the Akatsuki because in exchange for returning the boy alive, they would be granted a large monetary reward and the Wakkanai Village's loyalty and resources. The boy's name was Ichiro and he was only five years old, meaning that if he had run away from home he wouldn't survive for long on his own.

Pein then asked Itachi about Mitsukai's condition, mentally and physically. She bit her lip hard nearly drawing blood out of anger as she listened to Itachi basically repeat everything he'd said earlier to her and Deidara. _'He is such a dipstick.'_She thought angrily as their Leader agreed with everything the surly man complained about. Then to add injury to insult, Pein made it known that he would never allow such things to occur and would personally talk to Deidara so that he'd know to keep his distance from her. Great. So now there was a restraining order.

Now she sat near their campfire, her heavy cloak underneath her as a cushion as she held her knees. Itachi sat directly across from her staring at the fire, casting the illusion that he was looking directly at her. Every now and then she'd allow herself to stare at him then drop her gaze back down to the fire.

"If there's something you'd like to ask me, you're welcome to do so." Itachi's murmur was as soft as velvet.

"Why…?" Mitsukai's voice faltered as the sudden awareness of how his voice had appealed to her for a split second made her lose her train of thought.

"If it has anything to do with Sasuke or Deidara I'm not in the mood."

"No…well…sort of." She took a moment to recollect her thoughts. "I remembered something I've always wanted to ask you about. In fact, I tried to ask you about it the night I was taken back to the Leaf."

Itachi made eye contact with her, curiosity clear in his eyes. "Hm?"

"Years ago, after you mentally attacked Sasuke…I went into his head and saw…things." At this his gaze became intense, as if he were mentally searching her head for information so she stared down at her toes instead. "I wanted to hear more about Sojobo and the scroll."

It became so quiet even the surrounding wildlife had paused.

"That is none of your concern." Itachi said finally. He shifted and pushed his sleeve up his arm to check his kunai holster on his arm.

Mitsukai gritted her teeth. "How is it not? It seemed as if that was part of the reason of you murdering your family."

Itachi's hand stopped but he didn't look up. "Stop trying to figure me out. I did what I did because I _wanted_ to. Some things don't require much more of an explanation than that."

"But they were your _family_. Aunts, uncles, cousins…your own mother and father. You had to have felt _something_, Itachi. To just mutilate them the way you did 'just because' doesn't make any sense! You had a reason. 'Measure my capabilities'? You could have went and killed a whole village somewhere else if you wanted to do that."

"There is no greater opponent than one who is exactly like you." Itachi murmured. "One who has the same strengths and weaknesses. I was my greatest opponent."

"So then why did you instruct Sasuke to go to the Nakano Shrine? To go look at that scroll? What was on it? What does Sojobo have to do with it all?" Mitsukai stood. "You've turned Sasuke's world into a living hell without a just reason! How can you—"

Itachi stood and within the second she found herself pinned by the throat to a tree. "You know," she pulled on his hand and gasped for air, "this is getting old."

"Stay out of my business." Itachi hissed, eyes flickering from black to red.

"Sasuke is my teammate! You're the reason he defected. You're the reason he left people that care about him solely to find a way to get stronger! You're the reason why no matter what he does—even if he kills you—he'll always be alone and will always be unhappy! You trapped him in the past, where people that he loved and cared for are alive. What future does he have…if he can only live in his past?" Mitsukai's eyes filled with tears remembering the last time she saw Sasuke.

For a moment, her outburst had truly stolen Itachi's words and had him captivated by the tears she held in her midnight blue eyes for his younger brother. He had honestly never thought of it that way. "I will not tell you this again. Mind your own business."

Mitsukai stared at him in disbelief. "You don't care. It doesn't even ignite a small ounce of care within your cold, dead heart!" She began thrashing to free herself. "You asshole! Let me go!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "How about we revisit some of _your_ old memories?"

The hairs on Mitsukai's arms stood as a familiar eerie feeling washed over her. Instinct warned her not to do it, to run away instead, but she held her ground and looked the man in the eye. In a brief second, she saw the shuriken warped tomoe of Itachi's eyes before the horror began. Her father's cold stare and apparent dislike for her. Her mother's attempt to be both a mother and a father. The fire that killed the first person to love her…

Years of training prepared her for this. She knew that if she pushed the right buttons she could get him to resort to using his Mangekyou Sharingan's Tsukuyomi on her to create that window of opportunity. For the first time since she'd unknowingly tried it on Sasuke, she showed Itachi just how much his former student had improved her worth to the Akatsuki. "_**Dream Eater Genjustsu.**_" She whispered, stealing a quiet surprised gasp from the Uchiha. "How about a taste of your own medicine, hm?" Gold eyes flashed behind her eyelids abruptly breaking the mental hold from Itachi's Tsukuyomi. Her hand grabbed his wrist and she smiled. _'Let's take a peek at what's in your head…Itachi-san._' Breaking open his mind was nearly the same as trying to push a boulder…it wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either.

"What…what are you…" Itachi's words faltered the second the first memory was pried free. _'Sasuke.'_ He wasn't sure if it was his actual voice or mental voice that whispered his little brother's. Pain registered as his heart stuttered briefly at the sight of his newborn brother in his mother's arms.

'_Itachi…come meet your brother.' _He remembered his mother's innocent proud smile. He remembered how red Sasuke's face was…how feather soft his skin had been. With the memory, old emotions he had purposefully locked away were ignited. The pride he'd felt upon being appointed Sasuke's guardian…his big brother. Every event that led to their departure ripped open an old, ignored wound in his dead heart, crushing his spirit as the weight of the consequences finally caught up with him. It had cost him his little brother's love and adoration. Because he wanted to free them both from their own personal Hell, it had cost him the one thing that he secretly cared for more than his next breath—Sasuke. Knowing that Sasuke, who had at one time sought refuge near him during stormy nights, now wanted his head on a silver platter and his heart gored out with a blunt spoon ate at his conscience. The cold, hard truth slammed him nearly causing him to fall over. _The person he originally intended to protect from enduring the same childhood he had—though he still ended up manipulating him the way he had been—would, inevitably, take his own life._

As rain began to pour down on them from a swiftly approaching thunderstorm, Mitsukai watched the memories replay in Itachi's head, slack-jawed and frozen in total surprise. Every time she contemplated what it would be like to invade Itachi's head, she'd always come to the conclusion that he was nothing more than the monster Sasuke insisted he was. The tender, cherished memories were both breathtaking and heart breaking to watch. Itachi truly enjoyed every moment spent with little Sasuke. From training with him to explaining what it meant to be a big brother, there was never an inhumane moment when Sasuke was near. _'__It's just that we're unique siblings. I'm the barrier you must overcome, so you and I will continue to exist together. Even if you hate me. That's what being a big brother is.' _Itachi's voice was tender. And it was all for Sasuke… Tears lined her eyes and wet her cheeks as Itachi had to pretend Sasuke never mattered to him and shut his own emotions off in order to ignore the fact that he was breaking his brother in ways that would take years, if not a lifetime, to mend and heal properly.

It was more than he could bare. The heartache that awoken within him shattered every ounce of strength he'd been using to effectively remain emotionless. The sinister presence stirred angrily within him and he didn't bother to try to keep it in check. He felt his fingers tighten around Mitsukai's warm, delicate throat until the images suddenly stopped and her face returned blurred by unshed tears. Her eyes were rolling up into her head as her nails dug into his wrist drawing blood. Kisame was behind him trying to coax him into releasing the girl before he killed her and the tailed beast within her, thus ruining the Akatsuki's plans. Slowly, his grip loosened and he watched the girl slide down the tree's trunk to a sitting position and her head slumped to the side. Even this reminded him, painfully, of what he had done to Sasuke. He'd made his brother suffer much more than his family would have… So much more…

"Itachi—"

"Watch her." Itachi's was foreign even to his own ears; it was weak and defeated…emotional. He could practically feel uncertainty wash over Kisame and was grateful that he didn't follow him as he turned and left the man with their unconscious member. He needed time alone to pull himself back together, something he hadn't done in years.

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Three nights had passed and still no sign of Itachi. At first, Mitsukai was relieved and welcomed the calm associated with his absence. However, by noon of the fourth day she got worried. She constantly questioned Kisame and grew more and more frustrated with his dull "I don't know" responses. Despite Itachi being the continuous rain on her parade thus sucking all of the fun out of whatever she tried to do…he was still, in a very shrewd way, _her _rain, wasn't he? She gasped at the thought then immediately shook her head at her own silliness. It was natural to be concerned about one's teammate. Kakashi had dedicated weeks of training to drill that very concept into his students' heads, even if it all still fell on deaf ears.

"Mitsukai…relax." Kisame said finally. Dusk was approaching and the heat of the summer day slowly began to fade into a relaxing night breeze. She nodded but found it to easier said than done. Once she'd had time to sit and focus, all of Itachi's memories and their respective emotions flooded. So much more made sense now and it was nearly impossible to see him as the monster he'd tried to portray. She realized that Itachi was never properly taught to _speak_ out in order to stand up for himself. From the day he picked up the ninja tool nothing but information in regards to his new forced way of life was drilled into his head. No one had told him to simply _tell_ someone if he didn't like something. It was horrible. She didn't have to imagine what her life would have been like if she'd grown like Itachi—she's seen a good example through his eyes.

Kisame decided it would be best to keep going. Mitsukai did not protest. The more she analyzed the memories, the more information she uncovered. Itachi's lack of communication skills played a vital role in the massacre. In his warped mind, eliminating the threat was the only way to defend himself from the oppression he felt. She knew all too well how that felt and sympathized with him. Yet, the one fact that arrested her heart and left her absolutely speechless was knowing _why_. Itachi might have endured and suffered the path his life was taking had his mother not appointed him Sasuke's keeper. Itachi felt responsible for protecting Sasuke from everyone, including their own family. After the first hour, Kisame stopped trying to figure out why Mitsukai was crying. All that she could think of was the last poke delivered to Sasuke's forehead that Itachi felt as the physical severing of their brotherly bond and how she knew Sasuke felt about Itachi now. _'If only he knew…' _Sadly, she knew Sasuke would never listen to reason.

Soon a full seven days had passed. Mitsukai spent most of her evenings perched in a tree with her eyes closed, using Houkou's chakra to bond with the tree and scan the area for that familiar chakra signature. By now the most important information of all had been extracted from the memories. When the connection between Itachi and Sasuke's memories hit her she nearly fell over. _They had both looked at the scroll. _However, they hadn't walked away from it the same way they came to it. In fact, Sasuke's lust for revenge, for Itachi's blood, had doubled…and Itachi's chakra signature became tainted, darker, and blood thirsty.

No.

Itachi wasn't the monster he'd allow so many to believe he was.

But the entity within him _was_…and he was most definitely in danger.

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The cool rain against his feverish skin was more than welcomed. Standing on the roof of his old home in the middle of a city where he was more wanted, Itachi allowed more old memories and emotions to wash over him and coat his cold insides. Since the floodgate had been opened, what point was there in trying to close it? It was surprising to find that after so many years, the villagers had finally developed the nerve and backbone necessary to move into the old Uchiha neighborhood. He looked up at the dark night sky and sighed deeply. He'd been gone too long. It was past time for him to catch up to Kisame and Mitsukai.

'_**There's no backing out of it now…Itachi-san.**__' _A cruel voice drawled from within his mind.

"I know." Itachi whispered aloud.

'_**Then get rid of the memories. What's done is done.'**_

Itachi's eyelids dropped until a sad look formed. "…I know." He knew. He knew all too well now that his betrayal to Sasuke had destroyed the bond they once shared…and that there was no way to resurrect it.

As he expected to, he found Kisame and Mitsukai in town…dining out. "Hello."

Mitsukai promptly choked on a piece of pork in her Okonomiyaki and whirled around (small flakes of aonori, a dried seaweed, on her face notwithstanding). "I-Itachi-san?!"

Kisame chuckled with the stick that once had Yakitori on it in his mouth. "It's about time you showed. This grilled chicken is delicious and since it's your favorite I thought you'd like some." He pushed a plate towards him. "I was beginning to think I would be left with Little Bit for the mission."

Itachi's gaze averted from the Yakitori to the awestruck girl quickly then he closed his eyes. "I…needed to check on something." He opened them slowly, moving to take the empty stool on the other side of Mitsukai, reaching around her for his plate.

Kisame made a noise similar to a swallowed sigh and drank his tea quietly.

"I-Itachi-san?" Mitsukai stammered, actually reaching out to gingerly touch his shoulder to make sure he was actually there.

Itachi merely nodded reaching for a napkin, unable to resist wiping the food off of her face. A waitress came and asked Itachi if he needed anything, but instead of answering her, he looked at Mitsukai. "Please, order for me."

At this her jaw dropped. "Um…tea." She nodded confidently looking to the waitress. "And a side of beef dumplings."

"If you don't mind," Itachi laid a hand on her forearm and looked at the waitress to look her directly in the eyes with a smirk. "I'd like something stronger. How about Shochu mixed with fruit juice? The beef dumplings sound fine."

Mitsukai opted to openly gap at this new uncanny Itachi. She would save sheer terror for later in a more private setting. The waitress swooned and disappeared to fill her new favorite customer's order.

"Are you okay?" Mitsukai whispered as Itachi picked up a stick of Yakitori. He nodded. "Then…where have you been? And…where is your cloak?"

"I needed to think." He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper that she had to strain to hear. "You and I will talk later. Finish eating."

It was the unspoken promise of answers for her questions that put Mitsukai on her best behavior. Kisame even seemed surprised by her obedient nature. For Mitsukai, the whole thing was surreal. She'd hoped for his safe return, yet fully expecting him to be very brusque and to even knock her around a little. _Is that what he meant by talk? _Maybe the most disturbing thing about Itachi was how his once stoic expression now flickered with emotions, as if he were trying (and failing) to keep his emotions hidden. She seriously considered the possibility of brain damage. Even as they left the village in silence, Itachi had a softer, more somber look.

"Itachi. You okay?" Kisame asked after an hour of the sad look. Itachi nodded and his eyes looked back down at the path they were taking, clearly pretending he didn't want to trip over something. Perhaps it was this look that made Mitsukai regret her decision to pry into his mind. She could have simply endured the torture or simply deflected the Genjutsu. But, no…curiosity killed the cat.

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"_Mitsukai-chan_."

His voice was soft, like a silk pillowcase.

"_Mitsukai, wake up._"

Exactly when did it become so appealing Mitsukai wondered as she concentrated hard to regulate her breathing in order to successfully feign sleep.

"_I know you're awake. You snore when you're asleep_." This time his voice held both amusement and annoyance. Mitsukai's eyes shot open and she rolled over to face his crouching form with a scowl.

"I do _not_." She whispered heatedly.

"But you aren't sleeping." Itachi pointed at her as amusement took over.

"Ass." She muttered darkly sitting up and looking at Kisame's sleeping form. "I'm up."

Itachi's eyes followed Mitsukai's gaze and he nodded. He tapped her arm and brought his index finger to her lips to signal silence. He stood swiftly and beckoned her to follow. She blinked a few times, watching him disappear into the brush surrounding their campsite. For a brief second, her teenage mind kicked in and she felt a wave of nervous anticipation wash over, quickly shaking it off as she stood to follow. It wasn't like he was going to _kiss _her. After a few minutes of wandering in the darkness wondering if the Uchiha had finally decided to get his revenge by allowing her to get lost in the thick forest, she found him sitting at the base of a tree facing a large lake. The sight of the moon's reflection shimmering on the lake's glassy black surface calmed her mind a little bit.

"Itachi-san?" Mitsukai whispered. He didn't look at her; instead, he simply waved her over with his left hand then patted the soft grass beside him. She obediently sat and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and stared out at the lake.

"…Thank you." He whispered finally, breaking the silence.

"Um…for…?" Mitsukai turned her head to look at him.

"For opening my eyes." He murmured then closed his eyes.

"Well, if anything, I do understand you better now." Mitsukai sighed stretching out her legs in front of her. "While I believe murder wasn't the best choice, I understand what you were going through. We all have our hardships and we all deal with them differently. Deep down, Itachi, you are a good person with a good heart. It's just your methods of doing things make you look bad. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. You have good intentions…but look at where they've placed you in life…I understand you now, Itachi. I just feel bad for you."

The ambience of the night filled in the silence of their conversation. Itachi's gaze was locked on the glassy surface of the lake while Mitsukai studied the starry, cloudless sky. Just as she was about to excuse herself back to her sleeping bag, Itachi's hand gently touched her elbow and warmth from his breath coated her right ear and neck. "_Thank you…for understanding._"

"Y-you're welcome, Itachi."

"Hn." He tucked a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. She tried to look up into his eyes but his eyes were shadowed by the darkness. She noticed a slight smirk. "Get back to bed."

"H-hai." She spoke softly standing slowly then making her way back. Once she had passed a few trees, she turned to look over her shoulder to find Itachi in his same spot staring at her. She continued to stare back until, finally, his gaze returned to the lake. She chuckled softly, bringing her right index finger up to her mouth then biting on it slightly. She sighed and shook her head, then kept moving along.

Itachi's finely tuned ears heard everything she did. Her laugh, her sigh, her retreating footsteps. His heart hurt because of that young woman. Emotions that he'd stopped feeling long ago now seized his mind and slowly turned his heart inside out. Guilt from knowing that he'd forced the same fate upon Sasukethat he'd tried to save him from. Heartache from the knowledge that nothing he could say or do could mend their brotherly bond or change their past. Defeat from accepting the inevitable. Yet, as he listened to Mitsukai nestle into her sleeping bag and soon after her breathing became deep from slumber, another feeling he didn't recognize washed over him. In some insane attempt to shield her mind from his attack, she made him remember what once meant the world to him: Sasuke's innocence. Somewhere in all of the chaos, he'd forgotten the very reason why it had all started. He'd compromised the pure heart Sasuke once had. Pain flooded his heart again and he feebly pressed left hand over it as if trying to suppress flowing blood from an open wound. More memories flooded his mind and he gasped aloud doubling over in pain. Sasuke's childish laughter warped into blood curdling screams and his terror-filled eyes burned into the back of Itachi's eyelids. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to block out the image.

Then an idea struck him.

He could attempt damage control. He was being used as a vessel until Sasuke was ready—

"_**There's no backing out of our deal now…Itachi."**_

"Sasuke has been through enough…I won't put more on him."

"_**Have you forgotten the source of your power? How crippled you'd be if I decided to disconnect my power to you? Without my help, Itachi, tell me exactly what you would see even with your Sharingan?"**_

Itachi's answer was silence.

"_**Very well. Do as you wish."**_


	15. Human After All

**Chapter Fifteen: Human After All**

The journey to the Wakkanai Village located on the Nagi Island near the Modoroki Shrine was arguably the worst one Mitsukai had ever had to endure. It wasn't going through the River and Fire countries that made her antsy, but rather the idea of having to travel over water that did her in.

"There _has_ to be another way." She pleaded with Kisame. Begging for Itachi's sympathy proved to be a waste of good air since he flat out told her he was looking forward to the change of scenery.

Kisame looked at her and scoffed. "Fresh sea air will do you some good."

Mitsukai nearly fell on her face. "I forgot you're part fish. You want to go more than the weasel does." She ducked a well aimed swing and jumped back. "Is there no other way?"

"Unfortunately…no." Itachi stood from the rock he had been sitting on as a boat came into view on the horizon of the water. "This is the quickest and most direct way. We need to make up for time lost…The child will have been on his own for over a week now."

"You know," Kisame added as he put his sword back in its place on his back, "We could have easily just ran across the water. _That_ would be quicker than going by boat."

Mitsukai glared at the man. "Well then you can go by foot. I'll wait here until you two return."

Kisame chuckled as Itachi moved towards the pier. "As if. Come along now."

Mitsukai frowned but filed onto the boat with them. They waited patiently as cargo and other passengers were loaded and seated. When the boat finally began to move, Mitsukai fidgeted and fussed with her clothes and hair just to keep herself preoccupied and her mind off of her location.

"You need a haircut." Itachi murmured catching her attention.

"Why?" She stopped and looked at him.

"It's a very unique color. It gives your opponent the advantage in battle."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I like the color and I'd like to see someone try to grab it now. I learned a few things from that battle with that ass who cut my hair last time."

Kisame nodded with a smile but kept his eyes on the sea.

"You should still cut it." Itachi insisted, reaching out to catch a few strands in his hand for a few seconds before letting go.

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The summer heat was close to unbearable. Mitsukai had to take off her lilac button-less button down long sleeve shirt and tie it around her waist. Kisame was guzzling water while glaring at Mitsukai, daring her to say anything offensive. Even Itachi chose to unbutton his cloak all the way.

"The odds of us finding the kid alive in this heat are minimal." Kisame muttered to no one in particular.

"_If_ he left on his own." Itachi countered. Mitsukai didn't say a word. Before they knew it, a little over an hour had passed by and, by Kisame's educated guess, they were less than three hours away from the Wakkanai Village.

"Ah…" Mitsukai whined, shoulders drooping with fatigue, "The first chance I get, I'm taking a long bubble bath."

"I'm going for a swim." Kisame closed his eyes, picturing a huge sparkling pool.

"I'm…" Itachi added, "…going to get ice cream."

Both Kisame and Mitsukai slowly leaned away from Itachi as if he had some deadly viral infection.

"I-ice cream…I-itachi-san?" Kisame asked cautiously.

"…Yes." He turned slightly to look at the pair. "I'm human too."

"Human in his case," Mitsukai pointed to Kisame, "is a relative term and therefore up for debate. I guess I can understa—" She ducked another one of Kisame's swings.

"Say something else you little—"

The argument stopped before it could even start properly. Itachi had stopped walking for a second then suddenly took off into the forest on their left, cutting across Mitsukai and Kisame making them stop to avoid running into him. They both stood still, both confused yet awed at the teen's speed. Before either of them could make a move or comment, Itachi returned carrying a little boy in his arms. "I found him."

Mitsukai stared for a second. "So…then I didn't need to come after all?"

"Pool, here I come!" Kisame cheered.

Mitsukai started to cheer and whoop along with Kisame. Itachi looked down at the boy's pale skin. "He isn't alive."

"What?" Mitsukai stopped.

"Looks like he had a heatstroke…" Itachi laid the boy down in the grassy part of their path. "…His father won't take this well."

"Well, it isn't our fault he can't keep up with his own offspring." Kisame said sourly, not liking the idea of being blamed for a death he had no part of.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is. Our main concern is getting the man to support our organization. That's why we took this mission in the first place." Itachi stood, closing his eyes to think of a solution.

"Well…" Mitsukai stepped closer to Itachi, "If it means that much to you guys, I-I know of a way to revive him."

This got both Kisame and Itachi's full attention. Kisame was doubtful. "You can bring back the dead?"

Itachi's mind thought of all possible ways before something clicked in his brain. "You trained briefly with Orochimaru."

"What does that have to do with anything? Even he can't bring back the dead!" Kisame exclaimed folding his arms and turning away. "I say we just take the corpse to the man and tell him it was too late."

Itachi gently grabbed Mitsukai's arm and turned her towards him. "Can you do it? That particular jutsu?"

Mitsukai nodded. "I remember a lot from my training with various members of the Akatsuki. Training with him was the most vivid because…he killed something in front of me. I remember the blood more than anything else."

Itachi nodded and let her go. "What do you need?"

"S-something that has a soul to equal the weight of his…um…L-like a deer or something." She stammered.

"Kisame." Itachi spoke sharply causing the man to snap to attention.

"Hai!" Kisame disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Itachi's red eyes bore into her own, paralyzing her as he analyzed her searching for any lies. When he found none, he blinked and knelt down to the boy. "How much chakra will this cost you…since you're not using a human soul for the exchange."

"I have no idea. This is the first time I have ever tried this jutsu on my own, much less with a human and an animal. For all I know it may not work. Or it could work by taking my soul instead of the animal's."

"Do you have any idea why Orochimaru would want you to learn this jutsu? Did he ever say?"

She nodded. "He told me that he might need me to perform it when I got older."

"Hm." Itachi nodded briefly. "I see."

Before Mitsukai ask, Kisame came out of the shrubs dragging an unconscious doe. "Okay, if this works, does anyone mind having venison for dinner? I just thought I'd ask before I started hacking away at it when this is over. I wasn't sure if Mother Nature over there would appreciate me 'violating' her ecosystem by eating something she killed herself."

"Go ahead." Itachi stated, addressing both Mitsukai and Kisame.

Mitsukai nodded and knelt down in between the boy and doe, tears welling up in her eyes as she recalled how Orochimaru taught her to do it. "_The body must be in a fair condition…and you must have a sacrifice_."

Kisame opened his mouth to comment but Itachi held up a hand to silence him.

"_Tiger, snake, dog, dragon, and then you clap once."_ She murmured to herself then repeated it, this time doing the signs with her hands as she spoke them aloud. "Tiger, snake, dog, dragon, and then you clap once."

Then she lost consciousness.

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Itachi and Kisame both took a step back as a visible gold aura enveloped Mitsukai, giving off static like chakra that zapped both the doe and the boy.

"What the hell?!" Kisame yelled shielding his face.

"Houkou." Itachi stated calmly as he narrowed his eyes. "Kisame, get ready."

"Ready for what?"

The deer convulsed violently for a few seconds before becoming still then the boy's body twitched as he soon started breathing again. Mitsukai stood but didn't turn to face them. _**"You have nerve, using wildlife as a sacrifice."**_

Both the men immediately noted that Mitsukai's voice was not her own, confirming Itachi's assumption. Itachi took a step forward. "We only did what was necessary."

"_**Necessary?"**_ Her head turned and she looked over her shoulder, allowing Itachi to see how her eyes had turned gold. _**"It was 'necessary' to upset the balance of life for your own benefit?"**_

"We didn't upset the balance of life. For every thing that dies, one must be born to replace it. Just as for every thing that is born, something must die."

"_**Thing? A human soul is different from the life that is within those of the wildlife. Never confuse the two again."**_ She turned around to face them fully. _**"Your ignorance is irritating."**_

Itachi tensed as he felt the air become charged with chakra. "Kisame—"

A powerful bolt of chakra hit Kisame square in the chest, knocking him off his feet and hitting him hard enough that he landed several yards away. "AH!"

"_**Fool me once. Shame on me."**_ Houkou laughed. _**"Fool me twice. Shame on me."**_

The little boy shuddered then opened his eyes, looking around then sitting up. "Where am I?"

'_Shit.'_ Itachi thought. Now the boy was in danger. What was worse was that he didn't seem to remember anything. Suddenly, Mitsukai was in front of him, rearing her fist back to punch him. The blow connected to his chin and his clone exploded, causing Mitsukai to quickly back flip away from the blast and land in a crouched position. She growled and it echoed slightly, sounding more like an animal than a human.

"_**Tell me, Uchiha, how is Sojobo doing these days?"**_ It asked before chuckling to itself.

This caught Itachi off guard. "How do you—"

"_**Mitsukai and I share the same brain…remember? Anything that she learns, I learn. However, as the god of illusion, I can see through most of yours that you set up for her to see. Can you still see without your Sharingan? Or have you gone completely blind? "**_

Before Itachi could respond, Kisame appeared behind her and swung his sword, hitting Mitsukai and draining her of almost all of her chakra, then sending her flying back near Itachi. "You're lucky I can't kill you!" He lifted his sword and charged at Mitsukai.

Itachi stopped the blade with his right forearm, giving Kisame a lethal glare. "Do not forget whose responsibility she is. Do _not_," he pushed Kisame's blade away, "forget who her life belongs to. You are not allowed to do more than is necessary to contain her, no matter what she does to you. Go fetch the child."

Kisame glared at Itachi for several seconds before putting away his blade and turning around with a grunt of dissatisfaction. "You won't always be around…Itachi-san."

Mitsukai groaned weakly and struggled to stand while holding her throbbing head. "What happened? Did I pass out?"

Itachi debated whether or not to let her know the truth. "Something like that." He helped her stand. "Kisame will be back shortly with the boy. He took off after he woke up."

Her head snapped up. "Oh yeah! He doesn't remember anything. I developed a special jutsu for recovering memories that should help."

"Why would you do that? Create the jutsu, I mean." Itachi inquired.

"For a while I stayed in a small village outside of Port City in Tea Country. I was appointed as a assistant to the only doctor there and I realized that there were many patients there who had amnesia or were comatose. I learned that my Dream Eater Genjutsu could changed slightly by one hand sign and it could destroy the black box that the mind creates when damaged to store what it deems to be excess information." She smiled. "It's very useful."

Itachi only nodded. Soon the screams and yells of the boy were heard and Kisame set him down. "I need new ear drums."

Itachi nudged Mitsukai forward. "Go ahead."

"Hai." She nodded and knelt down to the boy. "Hi."

He didn't say a word, instead filled her arms, burying his face in her neck. "I'm scared! The fishy man scares me!"

She stifled a good laugh and avoided looking up at said fishy man. "It's okay." She shushed him as she made the hand signs. Her right hand started to glow and she put it on the back of his head as she concentrated on finding his memories and restoring them. Since he was so young it didn't take that much time because he didn't have that many memories. When she was finished, the boy had fallen asleep in her arms. "I'm done. He should be fine now."

"Let's go." Itachi nodded continuing down the trail to the village.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He sat in his bed, sipping on the brew of tea and medicine that Kabuto had made for him, thinking of what his informant had told him. Mitsukai was with the Akatsuki again. He had tried locating her before they got to her again but training Sasuke turned out to be something that required his full attention at times. However, now that Sasuke had grown, he knew it was time to resume the plans he had made for Mitsukai since the day she was born. Kabuto came into the room with a tray of food. "Kabuto."

"Hm?" He looked at Orochimaru curiously after setting the food down on the bedside table. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru?"

"I need you to go find Mitsukai."

"Mit—" He paused as the name sparked a memory. "The little girl the Akatsuki trained as a weapon?"

Orochimaru nodded.

"Why is she important now? You have Sasuke whom is much stronger than she is."

"That may be so…but she could be the leverage I need against the Akatsuki. With Naruto and the rest of the Hidden Leaf tracking down the Akatsuki just to find Itachi before Sasuke does, it would increase the odds of killing off the Akatsuki if I turned their own 'weapon' against them." He rasped then took another sip.

"But she is a jinchuuriki. They would pursue her relentlessly. We would have to change locations more often." Kabuto pointed out.

"A small price to pay for such a great reward." Orochimaru smiled. "Even with the demon in her, if I could persuade her to join ranks with me after revealing the truth about the Akatsuki , she'd be worth the trouble."

Kabuto nodded, pushing his glasses up. "Hai."

"Just find her. If you can, find out what one of her weaknesses is. Report back to me." Orochimaru finished off his brew. Kabuto disappeared without another word. He chuckled as he leaned back to relax. "Little Mitsukai…even if you fail at getting rid of the Akatsuki…their plans would go up in smoke if their little container were to die."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah!" Mitsukai sighed happily as they walked over a lake. "It was nice of Leader to grant us a few days of rest. Does he do that often?"

"Only when you've done something that was very important to the organization." Kisame noted.

Mitsukai nodded. "Can we _please_ stay in a motel? With an actual bed and shower?" Her eyes widened. "An actual toilet with toilet paper?"

Kisame guffawed and nodded. "The kid has a point. I'm getting tired of using leaves myself."

Mitsukai made a face but didn't comment.

"You know, I'm surprised you even approve of using toilet tissue. Isn't that against your environmentalist beliefs?" Kisame looked at her.

"Oh, shut it. That's different. I have problems with you tearing down trees just for 'fun'."

"You know, one day, you'll actually get over that and move on with your life."

"Not as long as I have to look your blue face."

"What's wrong with blue? You got something against blue?"

"What?! What does blue have to do with—"

"I mean, you brought up the color as if you don't like it."

"Ugh! No, the part you should have taken offense to was the 'your face' part. I don't care what color it is, you're not easy on the eyes."

"So what are you saying exactly?"

"That you're ugly, Kisame. You are butt ugly."

"Why do you two even bother to argue?" Itachi interrupted, stopping Kisame from outright attacking the girl. "You get into it then no less than ten minutes to an hour later, you're friends again laughing and joking."

Kisame and Mitsukai looked at each other then shrugged.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two nights later, right outside of the border of Otogakure, they stopped to make camp for the night before continuing on the next day to their destination. They sat around the fire, with Mitsukai roasting marshmallows she'd bought earlier that day.

"I don't see how you eat those things." Kisame remarked turning up his nose at the smell. "It's burnt sugar."

"_Fluffy_ sugar, thank you." She corrected carefully plopping one into her mouth.

He shuddered. "Eating those just can't be human."

Mitsukai eyed him for a second. "You're one to talk about human."

"Hey, I _am_ human despite my appearance. I've done everything humans do."

"Like?"

"Believe it or not, I've kissed a girl."

Mitsukai's jaw dropped. "You did what to who?"

Kisame nodded proudly and puffed out his chest. "Yeah. How about you? You ever kissed a guy?"

Mitsukai's eye twitched and she turned away, shoving a hot marshmallow into her mouth. Of course, it scorched her tongue causing her to spit it out and fan her tongue.

The question sparked Itachi's interest in their usually bland conversation and made him wait for her answer.

"Stall all you want, kiddo. What's the verdict?"

"Ah. Well, I…uh…"

Kisame cocked his head to the side. "Was it a guy? Or should I say girl? You've never stated your preference."

"Well?" Itachi prodded.

"I-I've never kissed anyone before." Mitsukai admitted in a whisper.

"Oh?" Kisame blinked then erupted with laughter. "You're kidding me! You've never kissed anyone? How old are you?"

"Oh, shut it." Mitsukai stood. "I'm going to get more sticks and stuff for the fire." She threw a half eaten marshmallow into the fire and stomped off.

"You hurt her feelings." Itachi pointed out which made Kisame stop laughing.

"Well, that's what she gets for teasing me the way she did."

Mitsukai made sure she was well away from the two before she started spewing all sorts of expletives and insults as she angrily picked up sticks and branches.

"Did it bother you that much?"

She jumped, dropped all of her sticks, and whirled around. "Itachi?"

He blinked a few times then repeated the question.

"Well, not exactly 'bother'. It's just…well I…" She sighed then shrugged. "I just haven't really given the act any thought. I mean, I have given it thought, I just haven't had the chance—"

He watched as her mind continued to let her mouth ramble on before taking her chin and tilting her head up. "Do you mind…if I am your first?"

Mitsukai's mind melted as she processed his words then his question as a whole. "I-I-I…"

He smirked and leaned down, bringing his lips closer to hers as he whispered. "Tell me, Mitsukai, how do you feel about me?"

She tried to move her jaw but no sound came out.

Itachi nuzzled his cheek against hers as he whispered into her ear. "I see. So you do have feelings for me then. Tell me, would you do anything for me?"

Mitsukai nodded.

He chuckled softly. "Would you give your life for me?"

She hesitated, bit her lip, but nodded.

He pulled back and looked her directly in her eyes, his own a dark smoldering charcoal. "Do you love me…Mitsukai?"

She felt her knees buckle but he kept her standing with one of his arms anchored around her waist, pinning her against his body. He leaned forward, lips hovering over hers as his breath gently washed over her lips and cheeks. She could feel herself getting light-headed and knew she'd pass out if he kept this up. "Itachi, I—"

"Please Mitsukai, answer me."

"Y-yes." She nodded, whimpering as his lips grazed hers.

He smirked. "Good. That's all I need to know." His lips crushed hers in a rough, bruising kiss for what seemed like forever then pulled away suddenly. "Hm." He suddenly let go and took a few steps back.

"Mitsukai?" Kisame called out.

"O-over here." She tried to speak out loud. Soon Kisame emerged and her jaw dropped in pure shock.

Itachi was behind Kisame, Sharingan blazing. "Kabuto."

Her eyes felt like they would split at the seams when she turned back to the Itachi she'd kissed and saw one of her earlier teachers standing there, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "W-what?"

"See you later…Mitsukai-chan." He waved and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Can someone please explain what the hell is going on here?" Kisame looked at Itachi then Mitsukai.

"Hell, I wish _I_ knew." Mitsukai sighed touching her bottom lip.

* * *

**A/N: **Yosh! I'm getting closer to the end! Considering when I started this fic I can guess some of you are past anxious for the ending. As for the kiss--LMFAO. When I originally came up with that idea the Tainted series was still notes jotted down in my spiral. I hope you all found it as hilarious as I did.


	16. Get A Little Closer

**Chapter Sixteen: Get A Little Closer**

It wasn't surprising that Itachi didn't say anything else about the incident with Kabuto afterwards. It was beyond annoying that Kisame saw fit to point out whom she'd given her first kiss to. Though he never asked, Mitsukai noticed Itachi's interest in the subject when Kisame would ask why she did it. She explained every single time that she didn't know it was Kabuto which prompted Kisame to ask the obvious.

"So you wanted to kiss _Itachi-san_?" He grinned.

Mitsukai groaned. "Please go to hell. And stay there this time."

"And miss out on making your life a living hell? No way!" Kisame erupted with laughter, holding his sides. "This is _too_ golden an opportunity to pass up."

Itachi said nothing. He kept his mind focused on two things: Sasuke and Kabuto's appearance. Though it was easy to focus on the wrong thing like Kisame had, he knew Kabuto would never leave Orochimaru's side. _'Was he nearby? Did he send Kabuto to locate us? If so, why?'_ He thought about Mitsukai's ability to perform that particular jutsu. _'Has his interest in her peaked? He will make his move soon…'_ From there it didn't take long for Itachi them and possibly find Mitsukai's weakness that could be used to either subdue her with or bargain with her. That meant Itachi would have to take advantage of the information Kabuto had uncovered in order to protect his mission.

* * *

"Bath time!" Kisame shouted, standing to go to the nearby lake. Mitsukai shuddered at the thought of him being naked.

"Poor fish will be scared to death."

"Even better. Bath time _and_ dinner." He smiled before disappearing into the forest. Mitsukai sighed. There was no telling how long Kisame would take. She looked over at Itachi, who was busy staring at a nearby tree, and sighed again.

"What is it?" Itachi asked without turning to face her.

She thought about the last time he'd shown some of his expertise. When she had come to several days later, Sasuke had run off to join ranks with Orochimaru. She bit her lip. "Will you train with me?"

Itachi hesitated. "Teaching you how to kiss—"

"_Not that kind of training!_ I mean, sparring and whatnot." She fought to control her blushing.

"Oh." Itachi thought about it. "No."

"Why not?"

"I'm…tired." He couldn't even lie to her in a convincing manner.

"…You're afraid you'll hurt me." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

"It's a risk I can't take."

"Oh, come on! How can I be of any use to you if you don't keep my senses and skills sharp?"

Itachi didn't have an answer for this. "Mitsukai—" He caught her fist with his hand, inches from his face. "You couldn't wait for Kisame?"

"He cheats with his Samehada if he thinks he's losing. Besides," she withdrew her fist from his hand, "he's not the one who beat me to a bloody pulp just because I disobeyed him."

Itachi made an amused sound. "Hm. So now you want to show me how far you've come since then. Would it mean that much to you to face your former sensei on a more equal footing?"

Mitsukai nodded.

Itachi stood. "If you can land a punch, I'll admit you've grown."

Mitsukai smirked, redirecting chakra to her feet, then disappearing. Itachi heard the movement and activated his Sharingan. He quickly leaned back and caught Mitsukai's fist, then threw her by her arm. She landed on her feet in a low crouch, turning to face him. She tried again. This time when he grabbed her arm, she grabbed his cloak to anchor herself then tried to kick him but he caught her leg. Improvising, she tried to use her other leg but was thrown into a nearby tree. Growing frustrated, she charged at him again and began her attempt to throw a barrage of well-aimed kicks and punches at him, hoping one would land. This time she landed on her back. "Thank you for not making this easy in some attempt to appease me."

Itachi only nodded.

Quickly, Mitsukai did hand signs causing vines and tree roots to shoot out of the ground and nearby foliage, grabbing a hold of Itachi's limbs. With a boost of speed, Mitsukai delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen…causing him to explode which sent her flying. "Bastard!"

"Hm." Itachi smirked, standing on a branch up in a tree. "I said to _punch_, not kick. And be careful. Those clones aren't made of teddy bear fluff."

She groaned and tried to stand up. The blast was extremely powerful for just a clone. "That's not fair. You're letting me use up all of my energy and chakra while you sit back and watch."

"In any battle, do you honestly think your opponent will fight 'fair'? Besides that, this is only practice. Why should I tire myself out?"

"Good points." She admitted reluctantly, dusting herself off. "Try again?"

Itachi nodded.

Throughout their fight, Itachi's mind constantly went back to Sasuke and Sojobo. He had made a mistake. With all he'd already done to Sasuke, he could not bear to do anything else.

'**You're getting weak, Itachi.'**

Itachi ignored the voice.

'**I'll remind you why you shall do as I ask.'**

Suddenly, his vision began to blur, like a person taking off their glasses. He swayed ever so slightly and narrowly dodged one of Mitsukai's powerful kicks. It instead landed on a slim tree behind him, creating a jagged crater where her foot had grazed it. He hastily assessed the situation and determined it would be better to have her fight clones. Utilizing his excess chakra storage, he summoned a shadow clone.

The clone dodged another kick as Itachi moved away undetected. Mitsukai reared back to punch but was cut off with a swift uppercut to her jaw. _'Shit.'_ She thought as she fell backward. Her hands managed to catch a sturdy branch and she swung herself up, landing on the branch. _'He's going on the defense…offensively?'_ She started to move but he suddenly disappeared. "What the--?" In mere seconds, he was by her side, leg flying towards her face with unmistakable force. "Hey!" She put up both arms to block the blow but was still forced from the tree.

'_I'll have to end this soon…I'll need to save chakra in order to see…'_ Itachi thought, mentally ordering his clone to fight a little harder. As Mitsukai fell towards the ground, she desperately tried to grab something to hang onto but to no avail. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the front of her clothes in mid air, turned her over, and slammed a knee into her abdomen. Immediately, bile was forced up and spew from her mouth. Then an elbow connected with her spine and sent her crashing to the hard earth below with a loud boom, the force enough to create a large crater around her body. She laid there for a few minutes, allowing the pain to lessen before attempting to move.

'_**How naïve are you, child?'**_

'_Huh?'_

'_**The Uchiha is toying with you. This is merely a **_**clone**_**. You're going to allow him to make a mockery of you and your progress? Pathetic…truly…**_**pathetic…**_**'**_

Anger surged through Mitsukai like an out of control speeding train. How dare he?! She grabbed a fistful of leaves, grass, and dirt, gritting her teeth as her blue eyes flashed gold. Even after he admitted knowing why she wanted to spar, he still wouldn't take her seriously. "I'll kill him." She whispered through her teeth. She stood up slowly, the wind swiftly picked up causing fallen leaves to whirl around her in a mini tornado. A low growl rumbled through her. The clone tried to come at her from behind, attempting to knock her unconscious. She slightly moved out of reach and whirled around to face him. It swung at her again and she side-stepped him. His arm went over her shoulder and he looked her square in the eyes. She stared at the clone until her cheek suddenly became wet with blood from a small cut. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the kunai it had in its hand, hidden by the sleeve of the cloak. Greatly increasing the chakra channeling to her feet, she raced forward and punched the clone in the gut. She back flipped away from the explosion and waited patiently. Another clone appeared and she kicked through it. Now he wasn't even trying to make them challenging. They were just obstacles. She fought tears of rage and searched the area for him.

Creating clones usually wasn't such a chore for Itachi. However, he was getting very tired and losing his sight. His clones couldn't fight as effectively if he couldn't see properly. One of them even blinked trying to clear his vision before being disposed of. There was a deep, rumbling, victorious laugh in his head right before everything went pitch black.

Itachi's vision was gone completely.

Mitsukai decided to fight fire with fire. She created a clone of her own. She found him kneeling on a branch close to the top of the tree he was in. _'Bastard…' _She punched him square in the nose and he flew off of the branch, falling towards the ground far below hitting thick branches along the way. She looked at the droplets of blood on her knuckles and listened to the sound branches breaking, then the distant thud of a body. Slowly, pain from the punch was felt in her hand and she shook it unconsciously. _'That was one _solid_ clone…'_ She mused then paused. He hadn't exploded or poofed when she hit him. She'd heard his body hit the ground far, far below.

"_I hit him!_" She gasped then cheered wildly. "I knocked the _snot_ out of him!" Sudden clarity hit her, interrupting her cheers. He'd fallen at least forty feet from the tree branch and didn't even try to catch himself or cushion his fall. Her eyes grew to the size of oranges and she let out a shriek of horror. She leapt down, branch to branch, to the forest floor, kneeling beside Itachi. "_Itachi-sensei_?!"

* * *

"You killed him." Kisame said blankly looking down at Itachi's motionless body, eyes still frozen open wide with shock.

"_No, no, no, no!_ It was an _accident_!" Mitsukai insisted, fighting tears. She put Itachi's head in her lap, pushing his fallen hair that had escaped his ponytail due to snagging branches during the fall. His face that was spotted with dirt and blood from his nose.

"Accident my ass." Kisame poked Itachi's shoulder with a blue finger. "He's dead."

Mitsukai frowned up, cuddled Itachi tightly, and began sobbing, rocking back and forth as tears fell on his face. The _one_ time she listened to her inner demon… Kisame rolled his eyes and sighed with annoyance. If the girl wasn't so juvenile she'd be able to hear Itachi's heart beating. He was just unconscious. He was concerned, however, that Mitsukai had been able to land any sort of punch, much less one that had be able to knock the man unconscious…unless the fall itself did it… He bent over and pried her arms off of Itachi and picked him up, slinging him over his shoulder.

"What are you—"

"We're gonna take him into the nearest town and rent a motel room. From there I'll be able to check him for injuries." He turned away but glared at her from the corner of his eye. "Now be good and come along."

Mitsukai nodded and stood, waiting patiently for him to lead the way. Kisame grunted. "You should nearly kill people more often…if it'll make you _this_ obedient."

* * *

Kisame, being the king of sarcasm and torture, rented a room with two double beds. Mitsukai insisted on choosing a more traditional hotel that provided single beds instead of one that appealed to tourists by providing actual mattresses instead of mats. Of course, Kisame refused to share his bed with an unconscious man—it would look suspicious. Mitsukai barely slept at all being so close to Itachi. Even though Kisame kept him in everything but his cloak, hat, and shoes, it was beyond awkward being in bed with Itachi. The next day, Kisame gave her some money and told her to go out and buy something to eat.

"Kisame…" Itachi spoke the minute he heard the door shut and her footsteps become faint. "I'm completely blind."

"Hmph. I thought as much."

"Even my Sharingan is useless…" Itachi murmured, laying his forearm across his eyes.

Kisame looked at his partner and forced back the sorrow he felt. He hated seeing anyone one worthy of a good spar succumb to such things like blindness and disease. "You should tell Mother Nature. Maybe she knows enough medic—"

"_No._" Itachi cut him off sharply. "She may use this to her advantage."

Kisame thought about how Mitsukai cried. "No…I don't think she will."

Itachi was silent, mentally dissecting Kisame's tone. "In any case, do not tell her."

"Then what should I say when you walk into something?" Kisame asked rudely.

"…Nothing. Eventually I'll figure it out."

"Besides, I thought you trained regularly in a blindfold?"

"…Where did you send her?" Itachi asked, deliberately changing the subject. He would never admit he'd let some of his skills get rusty. He had a sense of direction but it wasn't as sharp as it had once been.

Kisame chuckled, opting to ignore Itachi's question.

"If you tell her, she'll only blame herself."

"Then tell her _everything_. She always seems to know a good deal, Itachi."

"No."

The doorknob turned and Mitsukai walked in carrying a few bags of groceries. "I got everyone some snacks—" She looked at Itachi who was now sitting up. "Itachi-san?"

"Mitsukai."

"Itachi, are you—"

"I'm fine."

Kisame groaned loudly and went to the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it. Mitsukai stared at the door for the longest before speaking again. "I'm sorr—"

"It's fine." Itachi spoke evenly, strangely calm for someone who'd been knocked out the tree like a birdhouse being attacked by a squirrel.

"Are you sure?" Mitsukai put the groceries down on the only table in the room and went to Itachi, bending down to inspect him. He knocked her hand away but didn't look at her. "Itachi…are you sure?"

"HE CAN'T SEE YOU!"

Itachi didn't flinch. "Kisame…"

"What?" Mitsukai stood up and looked at the door as if expecting it to answer.

"He lost his eye sight." Kisame responded.

Mitsukai's eyes doubled in size and her hands flew up to cover her gaping mouth. She let out a sound that Itachi swore was more of a squeal of some animal and took a step back from him. Quickly she waved his hand in front of his face and snatched it back. His pupils showed no reaction to the sudden closeness but his hand nearly caught hers. "Oh…my…God…"

"Mitsukai—"

"ITACHI, I'M SO SORRY!"

"Mitsukai—"

"I JUST GOT SO MAD! I HEARD THE VOICE AND IT MADE ME SO MAD AT YOU SO I GOT SERIOUS—"

"Mitsukai, please—"

"—AND I HIT YOU! I DIDN'T MEAN TO! ITACHI, I SWEAR I DIDN'T MEAN—"

"KID, CAN IT!" Kisame barked, firmly grabbing a shoulder and giving her a good brief shake. "Let Itachi explain—"

"I'm not telling her, Kisame."

"Fine. I _will_. Ever since Itachi acquired the Mangekyo Sharingan, his eyesight has been deteriorating. Now it seems he's gone completely blind."

They waited for the simple explanation to be processed. Mitsukai looked at Kisame then Itachi. "So this special Sharingan that you wanted Sasuke to have…costs you your eyesight in the end? _Then what's the point of getting it?!_" She put her hands on her hips.

"Here comes mommy mode." Kisame turned away and retreated to the bathroom.

"It's an unknown side effect."

"With great power comes great sacrifice, you moron!" Mitsukai flailed her arms then gave up the argument. It was a bit late for the lecture anyhow. "I…I can do some research and see if there's a way to try to restore your eyesight…even if by just enough to allow you to see blurs and outlines of things. It's better than nothing."

Itachi only nodded. Kisame came out of the bathroom. "So do you think you can do anything to help?"

"It's a long shot. If I can't do it, I could try to find a medic in town that can. He doesn't need to be cured; he just needs to see."

Kisame nodded. "I think seeking professional help might be a better idea."

"For you, that will always be a better idea. You need all the professional help you can get."

"You are made of bitch."

"You are made of fish." Mitsukai gave him her most innocent smile.

* * *

Using a transformation jutsu, Itachi was seen and treated by a doctor at the local hospital. It had been a challenge to keep his Sharingan hidden from the employees during the procedure since the deterioration affected both his normal and Sharingan eyes. Itachi was ordered to rest his eyes for at least three days before removing the bandages. Kisame refused to lead Itachi around by hand so Mitsukai got stuck with the duty. Kisame made the effort to make it worse by pointing out that with Itachi out of action it would wiser to stay in town until the bandages could be removed. "In the meantime, we should enjoy the vacation."

"I hate you."

"You know, you had no problem kissing someone you thought to be Itachi. I don't see how holding his hand and guiding him around would hurt you any."

"…I _really_ hate you."

"I feel the love, short one."

Taking advantage of the mandatory free time, they decided to spend time in town. Kisame used a transformation and they all dressed in regular clothes to blend in. For three days, Mitsukai was subjected to holding Itachi's hand, hearing his constant complaints of her being so careful with him even though he wasn't fragile, and even occasionally pretending to be a couple when they ran into people who had gotten used to the trio wandering around town. On the fourth day, the town held a festival. It didn't take much to get Kisame to agree to go. Outnumbered, Itachi didn't bother to protest. He requested Mitsukai remove his bandages. To his amazement, he could see well enough to move about on his own. He thought about sharing this with the others but decided against it. He wasn't sure if Mitsukai would continue to be as subservient as she'd been as of late. Even if he wanted to keep it from Mitsukai, he couldn't tell Kisame since he felt a need to tell Mitsukai everything that crossed his mind.

The festival was lively and very loud. There were booths were merchants sold all sorts of things ranging from kimonos (Itachi insisted on picking a white one with red roses out for Mitsukai.), hand-crafted katanas, stuffed bears, and china sets. There were other booths with games where prizes could be won. Mitsukai managed to win herself a small stuffed weasel. Itachi personally threatened bodily harm to Kisame if he so much as whispered one weasel joke in reference to him. Kisame settled on laughing loudly to his mental jokes.


	17. The Pursuit

**Chapter Seventeen: The Pursuit**

"Lord Orochimaru, I've located her."

"And…?"

"It would seem she has a soft spot for her former sensei."

Orochimaru laughed, a cackling dry sound filled the air. "How endearing."

"They're in a village not far from here."

"…Good. Now take Sasuke with you and bring her here."

"Surely I wouldn't need to bring him along to collect one person."

"Don't underestimate them. After all, it is Itachi and Kisame. Not to mention you'd have to deal with the girl as well. Besides…I think Sasuke-kun needs a little fresh air."

"It's his brother we're going after."

"No, it's the _girl_ you're going after. Don't either of you forget that. I think Sasuke's presence would make it easier to acquire her."

"I cannot control Sasuke. If he decides to go after Itachi—"

"Let him. She needs to see that Itachi's life is in danger. With that fear for him, she'll want to bargain with you. She'll more than likely to agree to come along just to spare him. Just don't let Sasuke kill Itachi."

"If he does manage to kill Itachi, we won't have to worry about him in the long run." Kabuto pointed out.

"Yes. But if he does kill Itachi, he won't give me his body."

"Understood." Kabuto nodded and left the room.

Orochimaru couldn't help but to laugh to himself. "I wonder how much you've grown little Mitsukai. Will you be able to hold your own against Sasuke? I need to measure his growth and a jinchuuriki would be the perfect opponent for someone like him." He barked a raspy cough. "Turning you against the Akatsuki won't be hard at all. I think the freedom alone would convince you. And once you fulfill those two purposes, I will personally eliminate the threat…of the demon within you."

* * *

Days after leaving the village, the group came to rest in a forest near the Hidden Cloud village, located near the Sound village. With dusk approaching and Mitsukai complaining about being hungry, Kisame suggested they stop to make camp for the night.

"Itachi, I'll go gather wood with Kisame, okay?" Mitsukai stood after making her pallet.

Itachi fought not to look directly at her. He still hadn't told either of them his vision was back and still had no plans to, thus calling for the extra effort of pretending to be blind. He settled on a nod.

Mitsukai knew not to wander out of Kisame's sight, so she let him find a location. "How long do you think it will be before his vision returns?"

"Who knows? I've noticed that he's stopped running into things so I can't say for sure if he still can't see."

Mitsukai looked up at him. "Do you think he's pretending to be blind?"

Kisame shrugged. "I don't know, kid."

"I know one thing." A voice said. "Someone has soft lips…"

Mitsukai looked around puzzled. "What the--?"

Kabuto stepped from behind a tree to the left of Kisame at the same time Sasuke dropped down from a tree in front of Mitsukai. Kabuto smiled at Mitsukai in such an intimate way that made her blush and look away. "Why are you so shy all of a sudden Mitsukai-chan?"

"Burn in hell." She muttered.

Kisame looked at the pair. "What do you want?"

Sasuke looked at Kisame then Mitsukai with an empty expression that mirrored his brother's. "Where is he?"

Mitsukai's eyes widened. _'Itachi. If he couldn't properly handle me, then Sasuke would tear him to shreds. I have to get to him.'_

Kisame had the same line of thinking. He knew he could deal with four eyes but Itachi's little brother had been training with Orochimaru. There was no telling what the brat knew how to do. "Mitsukai, go to Itachi."

She didn't need to be told twice. She turned and took off running. Sasuke and Kabuto watched her go with amusement dancing in their eyes. Kabuto looked at Sasuke. "She's leading the way to your family reunion."

Sasuke gave Kabuto a filthy look before turning to follow at his own pace. "Don't make me kill you. He _isn't_ part of my family; he _killed_ them."

"Well, looks like it will be me and you." Kabuto looked at Kisame. Kisame reached back and unsheathed his Samehada.

"Looks like." He grinned wickedly.

"Itachi!" Mitsukai ran to him, grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away from the campsite. "Itachi—"

"Hello…Sasuke." Itachi murmured causing Mitsukai to stop and look over her shoulder.

Sasuke stood there staring at Itachi, murderous intent washing off of him in waves like those that slap a beach. "Itachi."

In the evening sun, Sasuke looked supernatural. His skin had a pale peach glow and his raven hair moved ever so slightly in the breeze. He was taller, leaner even, but all in all looked very much like he had when she had last seen him. Right down to that trademark Uchiha cold, indifferent look. She took only one step, and that was in front of Itachi to separate the brothers.

Sasuke noted this and scowled with disgust. "Are you…_trying_ to protect him?"

Mitsukai only nodded.

"You're very lucky I can't kill you." He shifted his gaze to Itachi. "Are you controlling her?"

"I'm acting of my own free will."

Itachi's body hummed with pure excitement and joy. **'Look at him! He's grown…he's nearly ready to be my next container, Itachi. Look at what you've created. Devoid of all emotion except blood lust and hatred. I finally understand why you've avoided him for so long…I shall show you my gratitude…'** Itachi blinked and the world was in full color. Everything was sharp and crystal clear, like it had been years ago before he had gotten the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Sasuke laughed, cold and malicious. "So what's wrong with my brother that he needs your protection of all people?"

Mitsukai gritted her teeth and thought about going for a weapon. She wondered if Kisame would be along soon and all she had to do was hold off Sasuke. With a quick set of hand signs, Mitsukai created a shield of ice swirled by the wind around her and Itachi. Itachi watched, amazed with how clear his vision was. A fireball was fired from Sasuke's direction and it cut through the ice.

'_Shit!'_ Mitsukai dodged the fireball, yanking Itachi out of the way with her. However, Sasuke's foot met her breast bone with a crushing force that sent her flying through the opposite side of the ice dome that was still standing, separating her from Itachi.

Sasuke stood a few feet away from Itachi, everything in him wanting nothing more than to tear him limb from limb. He forced the words out of his mouth. "We've…come for Mitsukai." He balled his fists up at his sides until his nails dug into the skin of his palms and they bled.

Itachi looked at him attentively. "But why her? I'm right here, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook with suppressed rage. "I know…_I know_."

A loud explosion shook the ground, causing trees to shake ominously around them. Sasuke turned his head in the direction of the explosion.

"What do you want with her?" Itachi asked, not bothered by the fighting between his partner and Kabuto.

Sasuke made a face and sneered, "Orochimaru wants her."

"Why?"

"The hell if I know…I don't care." Another explosion. In that instant, Itachi grabbed Mitsukai and ran for it. His options were very limited. He could fight Sasuke and risk injuring both Sasuke and Mitsukai. With his eyesight restored, he knew he could handle a fight with Sasuke. However, in the process, it was possible Mitsukai and Sasuke could get hurt. He needed them both alive and unharmed. Or he could run and give himself time to come up with another option.

He leapt through the trees, branch to branch, carrying Mitsukai bridal style. With a groan, she came to and looked up at him. "Mitsukai, are you good enough to run?"

She frowned processing his question then looked around. "Itachi, you—"

"Now's not the time! Can you?"

She nodded, eyes wide with confusion.

"I'm going to drop you. I need you to summon a clone to leave in your place then run east going your absolute fastest. They're after you."

"O-okay." She nodded.

Kabuto felt Sasuke's chakra signature begin to fade and knew they were running. He dodged Kisame's swing and immediately dashed off in pursuit.

"Hey!" Kisame growled and followed.

Itachi dropped down from the trees and hid Mitsukai in a bush. A clone appeared instantly in his arms and he powered forward. Sasuke continued chase, not noticing Mitsukai peeking out at him through the bushes. The minute she thought it was clear, she stood and took off running. She admittedly forgot which way was east but decided as long as it was away from Sasuke and Kabuto. She put so much chakra into her run that her legs and lungs burned as if she hadn't ran a day before in her life. In ten minutes she managed to run nearly eleven miles before collapsing at the shore of a river.

Feeling a sudden decrease in Mitsukai's chakra in the wrong direction (if he was lucky she hadn't actually crossed the town limits for the Sound Village), Itachi stopped and faced Sasuke and Kabuto. He silently allowed the clone he was carrying to poof. Kabuto looked back as if to see Mitsukai there and swore. He and Sasuke doubled back as Kisame landed on a branch next to him. Itachi looked at Sasuke a second time, this time with Sharingan and swallowed a gasp of surprise.

Sasuke had summoned a shadow clone to chase Itachi.

'_When did he realize it?'_ Itachi threw a kunai, catching the clone in the chest and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Damn it."

The three of them took off. Gradually, Kabuto began to fall behind. "Do you think we'll catch up to her in time?" Kisame asked.

Itachi didn't answer, already knowing the answer to his question but not wanting to admit it. They decided to take a short cut and finally found her, slumped over at the base of a tree facing the lake. Kisame bent down to pick her up.

"Kisame, wait!" Itachi took a step forward.

The clone with an exploding tag attached to her chest blew up.

* * *

Mitsukai woke up feeling tremendously drained and sleepy. "Itachi—"

"Don't say his name around me."

It was then she noticed the wind and trees breezing by, and the very masculine scent accompanied by the strong arms that carried her. "Huh?" She looked up at Sasuke's face and freaked out. He stopped running and dumped her onto the ground. "Ow!" She looked around for Itachi and Kisame then slowly back to Sasuke.

"He must be losing his touch if he thought I was supposed to fall for that." He took a step towards her and Mitsukai automatically took a defensive stance. "And you must be insane."

She looked Sasuke in the eyes and immediately felt the unusual warmth and heaviness that a sleep genjutsu gives. "Damn…you…" She muttered as she fell over unconscious.


	18. Her Decision

**Chapter Eighteen: Her Decision**

The room was lit by a single candle. The walls were clearly made of pure stone. Blasting her way out would not be an option. A wooden door marked the only exit to the room. Mitsukai got of her full sized bed that was covered with a heavy blanket and examined the door. It was very heavy and thick. Even if she did manage to blast her way out, it more than likely wouldn't take Kabuto or Sasuke long to reach her. She sighed and moved back to her bed, getting as close to the corner and hugging the pillow to her chest, willing away tears. She didn't exactly _love_ being a prisoner of the Akatsuki, but she had grown accustomed to being with her captors, even caring for them a bit. She felt helpless. She couldn't try to escape…not if she valued her limbs.

The door opened and Kabuto entered, appearing surprised that she was awake. "I was coming to wake you. Lord Orochimaru wishes to speak to you."

She held the pillow tighter. "Go away."

Kabuto chuckled and moved over to the bed, sitting close enough to touch her arm. "I think you'll find what he has to say very interesting, Mitsukai."

She fought a growl that threatened to rise from her throat and jumped off the bed, slowly moving over towards to the door. "Please…don't touch me."

Kabuto smiled and moved to lead the way. "As you wish."

Orochimaru was in a large room standing in front of a large stone snake. The room was lit with torches. Sasuke sat on the snake's head, one arm resting on his knee.

"Mitsukai-chan…" Orochimaru hissed in a sadistically sweet voice. "It's been a while."

Mitsukai didn't respond, choosing to lightly bite on her tongue.

Orochimaru frowned a bit. "You should be thanking me for saving you."

"There's three people back in Konoha that wouldn't care either way." Mitsukai sneered. "I'd be the second person you've inadvertently taken away from them."

Orochimaru laughed and held up his hand, signaling Kabuto to calm down. "Is there where your true allegiance lies? With the Leaf village?"

Mitsukai contemplated going back to the room where she'd waken up but realized she'd need Kabuto's help finding it in this maze. "Where my allegiance lies doesn't concern you."

"Either respect Lord Orochimaru willingly or I'll help you." Kabuto hissed, losing his innocent look.

"Bite me, four eyes."

Kabuto started to move towards her but Orochimaru appeared in between them facing her, one hand up to Kabuto's chest. His other hand found her throat, angling her face to look up at his own pale one. "You don't have to fear me, but you _will_ respect me." His long tongue snaked its way out of his mouth and caressed her cheek. "On the other hand, fear isn't a bad thing." He felt her shiver and smiled, letting her go. "Would you like to know why the Akatsuki chose you of all people to seal the Houkou in?"

Intrigued, she nodded.

"It wasn't random." He placed a hand on her head, moving it slowly down the side of her head, fingering her silver hair. "They originally sent me to acquire your cousin, Nozomi. However," he moved away from her, "she was too old to do the sealing technique."

"Cousin?" Mitsukai whispered.

He stopped walked and looked over his shoulder, a smile curving his sinister lips. "They immediately targeted your dear old father, Kisho."

The name alone stirred up old emotions and memories that she'd fought hard to suppress. She could see his face clearly in her subconscious.

"They targeted him and his weakness for gambling the as a backup plan in case Nozomi was miscarried. They used his weakness to make him give you up. I have to say, we didn't think it would be as easy as he made it."

Her eyes stung at his words, but accepted them as truth because that was the man her father was.

"So, dear Mitsukai-chan, the Akatsuki has been controlling you from the moment you were conceived." He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. "No one even cared that your parents died. In fact, every single one of them was glad."

Logically, Mitsukai wasn't surprised in the least bit. But his words still pierced her heart like a brand new katana. Orochimaru studied the effect of his words and was greatly pleased with the damage he'd done. He nodded to Kabuto who gently grabbed her arm to take her back to her room.

* * *

"…Bonds?" His voice was low, heavy with interrupted sleep. "You woke me up…to talk about _bonds_?"

Sai didn't respond. He could literally feel Sasuke's anger washing over him, slowly strangling him. Within the blink of his eye, Sai had to dodge an attack that Sasuke fired off. In the dark, he was unable to tell exactly what he had tried to hit him with; he just knew to get the hell out of the way. He stood shakily, his ears still ringing from the deafening volume of the explosion. "Guh…"

All that was left of the room and hallway he'd just been in was nothing more than a crumbling crater. "You live up to your reputation. To be able to overpower my jutsu is quite something." Sai slowly brought his eyes up to meet Sasuke's. Sakura's gloved hand grabbed his throat tightly.

"What the hell are you after?!" She yelled, almost reaching a deafening decibel. "How many times you do you plan to stab us in the back before you're ha—"

"Ah, is it Sakura…?"

'_That voice…'_ Sakura's blood ran cold as a chill rushed down her spine. She slowly turned her head towards the voice and froze in shock. Her hand slowly let go of Sai's collar and dropped limp at her side. Her lips barely moved as she whispered, "Sasuke…"

Naruto heard her, even at that distance that they were apart. He had to see for himself.

Sasuke looked down at the group, annoyed yet intrigued. After all, it was his former team from Konohagakure.

"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured, every bit as captivated as Sakura at what surely seemed like an illusion after all these years.

Sasuke's voice broke the silence first. "Naruto? So you came too…"

Naruto tried and failed to get his mouth to work.

"Does that mean Kakashi's here as well?"

Yamato stepped into the newly landscaped clearing. "Unfortunately, Kakashi couldn't be here but I'm here in his place. We, Team Kakashi, are going to be taking you back to Konoha."

'_And here I was hoping they'd say anything but that…'_ Sasuke thought sourly. "Team Kakashi huh?"

Sai drew his weapon and Sakura looked at him with disgust. "I knew it!"

Sasuke looked at Sai as well. "So he's my replacement then, is he?" Sasuke's expression changed from amusement to annoyed. "He as spouting some kind of nonsense about protecting the bonds between Naruto and me. One more pansy for the group, quite the fit I'm sure."

"Huh?" Sakura looked up at Sasuke, confused.

Sai hesitated before speaking. "It is true. My top secret mission was indeed the assassination of Sasuke…but those orders don't matter anymore. Now I want to think and act for myself. Because of Naruto, I feel like I might be able to remember something…remember how I used to feel…something which I can't help feeling was very important to me…" Sai stared Sasuke in the eyes. "I may not know you all that well but there's a reason why Naruto and Sakura chase after you with so much passion. In order to prevent their bonds with you from breaking, in order to keep them intact, they're doing everything they can…"

'_For someone who's supposedly replacing me, he sure does a hell of a lot of talking…'_

"…I still don't have a very good understanding of it myself, but you, Sasuke, you should know why."

"Sure, I _did_ know. And that's why I severed them." Sasuke answered candidly.

A quiet gasp of pain shuddered through Naruto and Sakura.

"I have other bonds I carry…fraternal bonds, forged through hate…having too many bonds causes one to lose focus weakening their strongest wish, their greatest desire."

Naruto swallowed hard, willing away tears as he spoke. "…If that's true…If that's true, then why…WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL ME BACK THEN?! IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL SEVERING BONDS?! SASUKE!!"

Taken off guard by his question, Sasuke blinked several times before answering. "The reason is simple…and it isn't that I wasn't able to sever my bonds with you…I simple didn't want to give him the pleasure of seeing me attain power by submitting to his plans."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"There's no need for me to tell you…Still, the one thing I can say to you is back then…I chose to spare your life at nothing more than a whim of mine."

The wind blew and Sasuke was instantly at Naruto's side, his left arm draped across Naruto's chest as if he were leaning in to tell him a secret.

'_He's fast!'_ Yamato hadn't seen him move at all.

Sakura gasped. _'When did he…?'_

"Come to think of it, isn't becoming Hokage a dream of yours…?" Around them everyone became tense with anxiety. "If you had the time to go looking around for me, you would have been better off training…don't you think…Naruto?"

"S-sasuke!" Sakura gasped again, this time out of shock of Sasuke's words.

Sasuke ignored her, as he always had. "And that's why this time…" Sasuke reached behind him and slowly unsheathed his sword. "You're going to end up losing your life, all at a whim of mine."

* * *

Her new room was better than the old one, this one actually having a skylight to allow natural light into the room during the day. Mitsukai huddled in the corner on her bed, holding her pillow. She was confused, mentally broken. She chewed on her nails, currently nibbling on her left hand. Everything that she thought to be true was now called into question. Could Deidara have been merely pretending? None of the others really showed any true interest in her personal welfare except him.

The door opened abruptly and Sasuke walked in. He stared at her for what seemed like forever, nearly unblinking, his expression never changing. "Are you going to stay?"

Her eyes burned with impending tears as she contemplated her answer. "…Yes."

His eyes flickered with an unrecognizable emotion. "Fine." He tossed a pile of clothes onto the bed, inches away from her feet. "Get dressed and meet me out in the hall. Orochimaru wants me to spar with you to assess your abilities." He turned away but looked over his shoulder one last time. "Don't take all day changing. I have other things I'd like to do."

It was a sunny day. It was warm but the breeze managed to keep the temperature pleasant. However, Sasuke's punches were anything but.

"Ow!" Mitsukai yelped staggering back, holding her throbbing jaw. If she didn't know better, she'd accuse him taking out his anger on her instead of yelling at her about it. Every blow he delivered hit its mark with enough force to make her want to lie down and cry. She made a note that if she ever laid eyes on Kisame again she'd let him know he hit like a girl.

"There is no such thing as 'ow' when sparring." Sasuke glared at her. "For someone who my brother personally trained and has kept by his side as a pet during the past few years, you leave much to be desired."

The throbbing spread to her head and she felt a migraine coming on. "At least he chose to keep me by his side." She knew it was wrong but it felt wonderful to take a jab at him in a known soft spot after having taken so many brutal blows. Her vision blurred and she staggered to the side, a strong hand caught and steadied her.

"Sasuke, why don't you take the rest of the day off?" Orochimaru suggested, catching Sasuke's fist in his hand to prevent him from dealing a near fatal blow to Mitsukai. Sasuke stared Orochimaru in his eyes until his rage had subsided enough for him to walk away without making an attempt to incapacitate the girl. Once Sasuke was gone, Orochimaru slide Mitsukai to a sitting position. "Take your time. Sparring with Sasuke isn't to be taken lightly. The after effects can be devastating if not taken seriously and treated before they start to manifest."

"W-why…" Mitsukai wheezed, "is he so angry with me?"

"Not just you. Me as well. He doesn't want you here because you're a traitor in his eyes. Of course, I'm the one who wanted you to come here."

Mitsukai accepted his explanation partly because it made sense but mostly because her throbbing head didn't seem to be able to process much more than that. As soon as she was able, she continued training with Orochimaru who had a lot more patience than he'd had when she was younger. He even made a point to go over the Impure World Resurrection jutsu with her. Naturally, she refused to use humans to practice on.

* * *

'_I'm deeply disappointed in you both. Playing silly games is what caused you to be sloppy and lose her in the first place.'_ The holograph image had no problem communicating their Leader's anger.

Itachi hadn't consented to telling Pein about their missing member. Kisame had felt it necessary to volunteer such information in order to recruit help in locating her more quickly. Neither of them spoke unless directed to.

'_I'm sending Deidara and Tobi to help you locate her. Once you do, bring her to me _immediately_. In fact, I'm considering having Deidara bring her back the second he's able to. You'll have to deal with Orochimaru and Sasuke. If possible, use this opportunity to bring back Orochimaru's ring.'_

The image disappeared and Kisame let out a huff. "That could have gone worse."

Itachi turned and gave the man his most murderous glare.

"I take it you're not happy with me."

* * *

…_**Seven…**_

…_**Months…**_

…_**Later…**_

"Come on, you can hit harder than that. Don't worry about hurting me." Kabuto smiled, enjoying himself.

Mitsukai grunted and attempted another kick only to have it deflected at the last second. "Who said I was worried about you?"

"You can pretend all you want, _Hot Lips_, but I know you care." At this, she nearly took his head off with her foot.

Immediately, both of them felt the insane amount of chakra rushing at them from four different directions.

Kabuto swore.

The bushes around them rustled ominously then a figure emerged from them.

"Mitsukai-chan…long time, no see."


	19. Caged Bird

**Chapter Nineteen: Caged Bird**

Mitsukai turned slightly to face them. Deidara fought a smile. She had ditched her original outfit for an outfit more suitable for high-impact training. While it was more practical, he had to admit her lilac button down looked better. He was just happy she hadn't donned that stupid purple rope Orochimaru and the Sound Five found fashionable. It wasn't lost on any of them that she had also abandoned her mask. The sun made her slightly pale face shimmer like a pearl. Her dark blue eyes, however, held no emotion, not even when they landed on Deidara. _'What has he done to you?'_

"Mitsukai," Kabuto spoke, not taking his eyes off of the group, "Stay here…I'll go let Sasuke know his brother is here."

Mitsukai nodded once. "Hai."

"Happy belated birthday…_nii-san_." Mitsukai could feel his presence no less than a foot away from her. Sasuke passed her and stood in front of her.

Itachi's eyes moved from Mitsukai then settled on his younger brother. "Thank you…_Sasuke-kun_."

"Mitsukai," Deidara took a step forward, away from Itachi, Kisame, and Tobi. "Come with us."

Her hands immediately balled up into fists. "Why should I?"

"Because you belong with us." Itachi answered immediately.

"Don't you mean _'to'_?"

"However you want to say it, let's go." Itachi commanded.

"No."

"Mitsukai—" Deidara started to protest but she interrupted him.

"I don't mean anything to any of you. You've controlled me from _birth_—even before that! I am nothing more than a container for your bijuu until you're able to seal it away. Nothing more than a tool to use in battle to tip the odds in your favor." She looked at Itachi and Deidara as she continued to rant. "Itachi, you know what it's like to be used. Deidara, you've been there since the beginning. You know what it's like to be trapped like a caged bird. I guess being with the Akatsuki makes you forget what you've been through…who you used to be…" She reached behind her head and slowly unsheathed her katana. It was in proportion to her own height and very lightweight, all silver accented with a silver white handle and blue tassel . "I will _never _forget!"

Sasuke side-stepped out of the way and allowed Mitsukai to charge forward at the group. Tobi let out a scream and immediately abandoned his fellow members, seeking shelter in a tree far above ground. Kisame chuckled and withdrew his own weapon, going for Kabuto's face. Itachi attempted to intercept Mitsukai but immediately had to dodge an attack from Sasuke, separating him from Deidara and Mitsukai.

"Mitsukai-chan—" Deidara put one hand in his pouch and held the other up. Mitsukai plunged the sword's blade into the ground and used it as a leverage to swing around and plant a firm kick to Deidara's throat, sending him flying back into the brush that they emerged from. Once she got her footing, she yanked the katana from the ground and took her fighting stance.

"Mother and Father would be proud of you, Sasuke." Itachi muttered. Sasuke growled and unsheathed his own katana, charging it with Chidori.

"You're not allowed to call them that, you bastard." He made several swipes that Itachi dodged with ease, until Orochimaru came outside to see what all the commotion was.

"I thought I sensed you…Itachi-san."

Sasuke took advantage of Itachi's distracted state and made the Chidori extend to slice at Itachi's arm, which fell limp due to the Chidori's numbing side effect. With his good arm, Itachi quickly released a kunai from the holster on his forearm and made a simple flick of his wrist, nearly stabbing Orochimaru in the face had he not caught it in time. Orochimaru dropped the kunai, hand bleeding. He wasn't strong enough to battle. His borrowed body was reaching his limits and if he were to have Sasuke's body as a replacement as planned, he needed to wait just a bit longer. He was fairly certain Sasuke, Kabuto, and Mitsukai could hold off the Akatsuki members.

Sasuke watched as Orochimaru fled. _'He took one hit and ran away…and I'm being trained by _him_?'_ He shook his head then returned his attention to Itachi, who seemed a bit more interested in Orochimaru.

"Mitsukai, listen will you?!" Deidara yelled catching her leg to prevent being kicked in the face. "He exaggerated those things! I care about what happens to you. If I didn't, why would I bother to come find you?"

"Because you were told to!" She gripped her katana with both hands and swung hard, still missing. Her balance was off after putting so much force into the swing that Deidara was able to simple kick her over, causing her to slide across the ground.

"Just listen to me." He kept his distance, allowing her to take her time getting back up.

_"Can _you _promise me that _you_ will personally look after her? I understand what my husband has done but still she is my baby. I can't just let her go that easily. If I knew that someone else would care about her like I do...then I would be able to breathe just a bit easier."_

'_I'm trying to keep that promise…but she isn't making this easy, yeah…'_ "Mitsukai…I made a promise to your mother, back when this all started. She was a very kind and loving woman. She would be at the door when I would come to pick you up. She'd be at the door waiting for me to bring you home. You were her heart, Mitsukai, and she made me promise to protect her heart as if it were my own." Mitsukai looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. "I did. And it's true that we're in the same situation, but it's all about taking control and making it work for you." He took a step closer, opening his hand that had been hidden in his clay pouch to reveal a tiny clay hummingbird. "A caged bird craves the freedom of the vast sky. It sits in its cage, putting on a show for its captors to make them happy." The clay bird took flight, perching on her right shoulder. "It dazzles them with its beauty; it sings its beautiful songs." He noticed Mitsukai's eyes start to water with unshed tears. "It waits for the most opportune moment…to strike back and flee." The bird exploded and Mitsukai fell over on her side.

"Mitsukai!" Kabuto yelled but had to back flip away from a jutsu Kisame fired off, leaving him unable to get to her. Sasuke looked over his shoulder to see her lying on the ground and cursed. He didn't like her, but he didn't like the idea of her being with his brother either.

Deidara readied a second creation, this one being big enough for him to sit and carry Mitsukai while quickly flying them back to base. "I've got her. I'm going to head back. Try not to take all day." With one good flap, the clay bird instantly lifted into the air.

"Hey! Wait a minute, sempai, you can't leave me!" Tobi shouted, letting go of his tree branch to latch onto the bird's tail.

With their goal accomplished, Itachi relaxed his stance.

"Don't think this is over!" Sasuke exclaimed, slicing right through Itachi's neck.

"It was over…before it began." Itachi's body dropped to the ground, revealing that it wasn't Itachi, but another product of Pein's jutsus.

"Well, Sasuke," Kabuto sighed kicking at the corpse then looking over the corpse he'd been fighting, "looks like they got away."

* * *

"You could have found another way, Deidara." Kisame grunted. Itachi leaned against the wall furthest from Mitsukai's bed while Deidara sat in a chair next to it.

"I was told to do it quickly as soon as the opportunity presented itself." He shrugged and leaned closer, noticing that most of the burns done to her face from the blast were beginning to heal. He would remove the bandages in a few days to make sure her eye and ear was okay.

"Your haste to get it done may have cost us her eyesight and hearing." Itachi pointed out with a hint of bitterness in his tone. "You have other things to do. Take your partner and leave."

"Aw! But Mitsukai-chan likes me!" Tobi whined, fingering a few strands of her hair that spilled off of her pillow.

"It's been two days. If she won't wake up today then it will be a while before she does." Kisame grunted, turning to leave the room. Left alone with the blonde, Itachi stared at the back of Deidara's head, contemplating violence.

"There's nothing you can say or do, Uchiha, to make me feel worse than I already do." Deidara muttered, holding Mitsukai's limp hand.

Itachi pushed away from the wall with his foot and stood next to Deidara. "I'm sure I could find _something_ to top that. If I were you, I'd start praying she wakes up soon—and whole—unless you'd like to see what Leader has in store for you."


End file.
